‘Terrifier’ (2016, 2022, 2024): American Independent Filmmaking Resurgent

Directed by: Damien Leone || Produced by: Phil Falcone [1–3], George Steuber, Damien Leone [1, 3], Steven Della Salla, Jason Leavy, Michael Leavy [3]

Screenplay by: Damien Leone || Starring: David Howard Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi [1–3], Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran [1], Sarah Voigt, Kailey Hyman, Casey Hartnett [2], Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullman [2, 3], Antonella Rose, Margaret Anne Florence, Bryce Johnson, Chris Jericho [3]

Music by: Paul Wiley [1–3], Rostislav Vaynshtok [2] || Cinematography: George Steuber || Edited by: Damiene Leone || Country: United States || Language: English

Running Time: 85 minutes [1], 138 minutes [2], 125 minutes [3] || 1 = Terrifier, 2 = Terrifier 2, 3 = Terrifier 3

One of the craziest filmmaking events of 2024 is the mainstream box office success of the Terrifier franchise, specifically its third iteration, Terrifier 3. Based on a gleeful, almost black comedy-inversion of the typical slasher villain, Art the Clown (Mike Giannelli), from various short (The 9th Circle [2008], Terrifier [2011]) and anthology (All Hallows’ Eve [2013]) films by writer, editor, coproducer, and director Damien Leone, the Terrifier movies have transformed into one of the most notable independent American filmmaking movements of the modern era. They are without a doubt the most important contemporary (i.e. 2010s-2020s) independent films in Hollywood made outside of “mini-major” studios such as Lionsgate, A24, and Neon, with their obscene, convincing gore FX, elongated murder sequences, and, of course, now recognizable silent (re: dialogue-free) performance by series lead David Howard Thornton.

Thornton, who took over the main antagonist role from Gianelli with the first Terrifier (2016) feature, has become the series mascot and the now dominant popular culture image of the killer clown, an oddly classic “monster” archetype equivalent to vampires, werewolves, or zombies thanks to the success of movies like It (2017, 2019), Clown (2014), and Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988). His mimelike performance recalls a sort of demonic riff on Charlie Chaplin as much as it echoes a comedic take on Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, displaying unforgettable personality through vivid expressions and physical humor.

In the first Terrifier (2016), Catherine Corcoran grabs a selfie with David Howard Thornton (left), who later returns the favor (right).

What led to Terrifier 3 dominating the domestic (US + Canada) box office a couple weeks ago, however, began with humble, microbudgeted franchise origins even if you discount the aforementioned short films starring Gianelli’s Art the Clown. Leone built his first full-length Terrifier (2016) atop a tiny $35,000-$55,000 budget and a somewhat — OK, mostly — incoherent script; the debut Terrifier operated free of the supernatural overtones of its sequels to certain fans’ delight, but its repetitive start-and-stop rhythm, lack of any well defined protagonist (Jenna Kanell and Samantha Scaffidi star as notable diegetic sisters), and lack of narrative escalation make the slim 85-minute runtime feel well over two hours. The torture sequences are nightmarish and well executed without devolving into the self-serious nonsense of the 2000s splatter films (see the works of Eli Roth, James Wan, et al. during that time period), yet they can’t sustain the movie despite Thornton’s charm.

Fast forward six years and through an elongated production interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Leone had accumulated enough cinephile clout to crowdfund Terrifier 2 to the tune of $250,000. Far more ambitious in scope, Terrifier 2 not only transforms into a more conventional story with a fully formed protagonist (final girl Lauren LaVera), but also expands to an overindulgent runtime (138 minutes) that rivals The Empty Man (2020). I applaud Leone for committing to relatable characterizations and casting actors that have decent chemistry with one another; and it’s impossible to deny that many problems still remain in his Terrifier formula. Aside from the aforementioned excessive length, the cinematography by George Steuber is too limited by either directorial vision or budget, resorting to flat angles too often with little in the way of stylistic pizazz or visual variety. I appreciate Leone not going crazy with handheld camerawork like so many bigger budgeted studio movies, yet the opposite extreme feels plain dull.

Last but not least is October 2024’s Terrifier 3, which was the first series installment I saw in theatres. Whereas the first two Terrifier films received an old-school, rolling limited release schedule across select venues, the second sequel’s distributor, Cineverse, granted Terrifier 3 a wide release despite the film’s refusal to stand for an age rating (e.g. G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, etc.) before the Motion Picture Association and only $500,000 devoted to marketing. The third installment built upon the momentum of its predecessors, in part because it is the best of the bunch in my assessment, as well as how viral the series’ grotesque blood and gore FX have become. Pacing issues have improved from Terrifier 2 (the film is still too long for its genre format at 125 minutes, however) while the increased budget (still just a measly $2 million) allow for a variety of lighting setups, better coverage, and creative supernatural flourishes to Art’s murderous rampage. LaVera and costar Elliott Fullman work well together in particular as diegetic siblings, to the point where I wish they shared more screentime across Terrifier 2 and 3.

Top: Series final girl Lauren LaVera (left) and diegetic brother Elliott Fullam (right) get more than they bargained for in Terrifier 2. Bottom: Thornton’s Art the Clown isn’t the only nasty villain in these movies, as Samantha Scaffidi stars as a broken survivor turned possessed monster by Terrifier 3.

As Hollywood hopefully — for my sake, anyway — moves away from the digital FX-driven dominance of superhero franchises into God knows what else, I remain pleased at the endurance of horror films in general and independent, though not always “artsy” or cerebral, productions in particular. I find this series fascinating despite how I only recommend one of these films outright (see below), perhaps because (1) I’ve enjoyed killer clowns since the Are You Afraid of the Dark (1992-1996) series and (2) I applaud violent, hard-edged genre films almost no matter their flavor. So long as filmmakers don’t wallow in their edginess as a substitute for quality characterizations (e.g. The Sadness [2021]), I can most always appreciate their pushing the boundaries of mainstream storytelling.

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SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATION: Full of blood, guts, and personality, the Terrifier series is a surprising, if inconsistent bright spot in the modern Hollywood theatrical ecosystem given the perhaps waning dominance of legacy blockbuster franchises. From humble, if well meant beginnings (Terrifier 2016) to aggressive expansion (Terrifier 2) to a well oiled machine of grotesquery (Terrifier 3), Damien Leon’s carnival slasher has something for audiences tired of the bland, toothless safety of major studio horror (e.g. The Conjuring [2013, 2016, 2021]) or indie Blumhouse crap.

—> The original Terrifier, as much as I enjoy parts of it, is NOT RECOMMENDED, while I am ON THE FENCE with respect Terrifier 2 and RECOMMEND Terrifier 3 outright.

? Does Art keep that pistol as a backup option in case his targets get wise?