Rating: NR | Runtime: 85 minutes
Release Date: March 27th, 2018 (USA)
Studio: Epic Pictures Releasing
Director(s): Damien Leone
Writer(s): Damien Leone

Punctuality is the thief of time, dear.

More money apparently equals more misogyny rather than additional context since Damien Leone’s Terrifier does little to change the game on Art the Clown (now played by David Howard Thornton) beyond removing a bit of his supernatural prowess.

Yes, he still doesn’t seem to be mortal as far as injuries slowing him down for a minute before he’s good as new, but he no longer appears to be a spectre made flesh by the fear of his victims. This time he’s just a man who puts on a costume like every other Halloween reveler. He exists in the physical realm as a sadistic clown pantomiming his excitement as he pulverizes those who cross his path.

It truly is wild how quickly the men are dispatched by comparison to the women—one of which is gleefully hacksawed in half from groin to mouth. Leone either doesn’t realize the disparity or is keenly aware that his target audience wants to see women in pain while being disfigured.

Because there’s nothing else to this series so far. A maniac latches onto a victim, kills all those in the way of said victim, and then increases the body count with the others in their proximity once that initial victim is dead simply because he can. I’d guess the grotesque kills came to Leone first since the flimsy narrative that lets them unfold in sequence is treated as little more than an afterthought.

The only truly intriguing aspect comes via bookends depicting a survivor being interviewed about her experience and subsequently becoming homicidal as a result. Are we to believe Art rubbed off on her? Is there some underlying message about violence being contagious?

I don’t know since this plot point is ignored for an hour due to an unearned desire to make a “shocking” reveal that has no bearing on anything that occurs. I guess it might play into The Ninth Circle considering Art takes a backseat to other monsters in that one, but there’s still no overt mythologizing. Leone films murder, plain and simple. Pretending there’s anything deeper than that remains pure speculation.

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David Howard Thornton and Catherine Corcoran in TERRIFIER.