I am not the target audience for the Terrifier movies. However, that does not prevent me from recognizing what makes the movies popular and why there is a dedicated fanbase for them. I watched the first Terrifier out of curiosity only a few months before the sequel came out, and I thought it was fine for what it was. I have since watched the second with the same amount of morbid curiosity. Watching the second movie in this cult franchise has not converted me into a fan, but I can say that those who liked the first should not have many issues with the second.

Pros

Art the Clown is still great as a new silent slasher villain
Practical effects are gruesome and horrifying
Overall acting from the supporting cast is better than the first film
Decent soundtrack

Cons

Various arcs don’t really connect or feel like they’re resolved
Not much of a plot
Some bad acting brings things down

Plot & Thoughts

Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) returns! While it was almost assured he was dead at the end of the first movie (even though it was obvious that he wasn’t), Art comes back to life in the morgue and immediately kills the nearest person before gathering his things and hitting the road for more murder. However, he’s not alone…or maybe he is. A little pale girl with similar makeup to Art (Amelie McLain) appears before him, and they share a few silent interactions of funny faces and quiet laughter. She reappears at different points in the film as something of a spirit only Art or special characters can see, so she’s some sort of evil ghost or something.

While we aren’t watching Art maim and dismember, the film focuses on Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and her brother Jonathan (Elliot Fullam). Halloween is coming up and there’s a bunch of discussion around their costumes. Sienna is making hers based on the drawing of her dead father as a Valkyrie of sorts, and she has a very sharp sword to complete the costume that you know will be used later. Sienna has some bad dreams involving Art, for some reason, then her bedroom catches on fire, suddenly. Then, Art shows up in town and starts brutally killing everyone he encounters. At some point, more supernatural things other than an undead killer clown happen, and the movie gets wild all the way up to the post-credits scene.

Much like the first Terrifier, there’s not much of a plot. Terrifier 2 gets a little more ambitious with the supernatural additions and the connection between Sienna and Art, but there’s still not much there to explore. I don’t recall the connection between the characters ever really becoming clear or why things happen, but who cares? The purpose of the Terrifier films is to have Art walk around and make funny or scary faces before, during, and after he kills people in brutal and gory fashion.

Before I saw Terrifier 2, I saw it listed on plenty of top-10 lists that were about scenes in movies that would make you sick or turn it off. While I can’t say either occurred for me, I can say that the movie is just as horrific as the first. There’s scalping. There’s a face that gets carved up. There’s a decapitation or two. There’s a lot of stabbing. It’s all shown in gruesome, close-up detail. The first movie had its own shocking moments, but you can tell that the budget for the sequel significantly increased. It’s still a movie that was made for only a quarter of a million dollars, but you wouldn’t necessarily think so at first glance.

The smart use of the budget couldn’t account for everything, as there are some actors who deliver their lines poorly. However, the stars of the film make up for it. I think Lauren LaVera does a decent job in the role of Sienna and manages to be charismatic enough to move the plot along. If more horror movies are in her future, I could see her as a new scream queen.

However, Just like in Terrifier, David Howard Thornton’s Art is the real star of the show. Even though he’s merciless and malicious in his murder, Art manages to steal your attention with his personality. It says a lot that a character can be as scary and funny as Art when he is often shown in bright light and never udders a word. Thornton’s acting and facial expressions, with the help of the iconic makeup, manage to make Art both memorable and interesting. Even while he is carving up a victim, his goofy, childish behavior brings levity to the scenes. Several moments with the juxtaposition between the shocking gore and whimsical weirdness made me laugh. We haven’t gotten many new slasher villains since the 1980s, but Art is quickly becoming something of a silent Freddy Kreuger, and I’m okay with that.

TL;DR

The gory, torture-porn style of horror is not my cup of tea. However, there are plenty of movies I love that get just as visceral as the Terrifier movies. So, I wouldn’t say that I want more Terrifier films, however, if another came out, I wouldn’t be against seeing it. I admire these movies for knowing exactly what they are and going for it, regardless of budget constraints. It’s clear that the people in charge of these movies know how to get things done for little money and still manage to make their work look good. The Terrifier movies are bloody, disgusting, and vile, but they’re also funny and charming the way indie passion projects can be. If the gore and the clown aren’t enough to keep you away, Terrifier 2 is not a bad time.

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