Directed by Damien Leone.
This one’s a real puzzler. On the one hand, it’s a full-on gross-out B-movie, with questionable acting and an equally questionable plot.
On the other hand, Terrifier 3 is a real achievement. The gore is certainly like nothing you’ve ever seen before — unless you’ve already watched Terrifier 1 and 2 — and the mean-spirited depravity is something to behold. This is a film that would have Herschell Gordon Lewis, Tom Savini (who actually makes a fun cameo in the film), and Lucio Fulci hunched over a stain-soaked toilet.
In this case, both things are true at the same time. Unfortunately, this creates the feeling that even though you’ve not seen this level of gore before, you really have.
The film opens after ol’ Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) has been beheaded by Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera). Art manages his way out of being beheaded, and his now headless body decapitates a cop responding to the incident.
The cop head and the Art the Clown body both make their way to the asylum where survivor Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi), now possessed by the Little Pale Girl, has just given birth to Art’s own head. As Art the Clown affixes his old head to his original body, the two star-crossed pals go on a mini-killing spree before slipping into a demon-like slumber.
Lots of beheadings. Got it.
Fast forward five years, and Art the Clown’s nemesis, Sienna Shaw, is released from the booby hatch. Art and Victoria (now possessed by a demon?) conveniently slip out of their slumber. From that point forward the film vacillates between Art the Clown and Victoria brutally murdering and eating their “prey”, and Sienna wondering if she really is legitimately crazy. Nothing more, nothing less.
On the way to opening another portal to hell there’s several clumsy exposition dumps, alongside greasy clumps of human intestines, eyeballs, and well, every single part of the human anatomy.
To be sure, it’s a gross affair with few redeeming qualities. More problematic is the fact that the audience is drawn into a trance-like state where each successive gore-filled killing feels repetitious and unnecessary. As Art the Clown dances around, makes wild gesticulations, and mocks his victims, it’s unclear if Damien Leone is aiming for shock, comedy, horror, or something elevated beyond all these forms.
In addition to Art’s silly gesturing, he really becomes a secondary character to the demon-possessed Victoria Heyes. She ultimately pulls the strings, delivers the dialogue, and fuels the sinful debauchery. Unfortunately, because Leone doesn’t better explain their relationship, this weird juxtaposition doesn’t really hold any interest for audiences.
Terrifier 3 clumsily climaxes with a good vs. evil/god vs. the devil plot device that feels like a square peg in a round hole. Or, more specifically, a 12 inch diameter tube crammed into someone’s mouth and filled with bloody rats. Note: this really happens in the film.
Should you see Terrifier 3?
If you’re a true-blue horror completist, then you should run to the nearest streaming platform and slop up every last drop of blood and guts you can find. If you’re a casual viewer or someone new to the genre, you can safely pass on Art and Victoria’s blood soup.
The gore laid out in the film is a profound achievement. No question there. The problem with so much gore paired with an incomplete story results in a boring and weirdly long film.
Is Terrifier 3 scary? No. Is it gross? Most certainly!