Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons
The spooky season is in full swing. Halloween is fast approaching, and horror movies are dominating the box office.
This year, one movie seems to be on everybody’s lips. With ongoing reports of cinemagoers passing out or vomiting during the screenings, Terrifier 2 is attracting attention the world over.
So, it’s time to order yourself a pumpkin spice latte from The Clown Café (trust me, this will make sense soon) and settle down with your favourite Aussie scream queen as I bring you an in-depth, spoiler-free review of the latest adventure of Art the Clown.
I have been very fortunate to receive a screener from the producers and it’s probably not a stretch to say I’m one of the only Australians to have seen this highly anticipated sequel.
Before I get into what my thoughts were regarding the latest installment in the Terrifier franchise, here’s a little backstory to my history with Art the Clown.
Thanks to my love independent film, I first stumbled upon the now-iconic Art the Clown in a little-known anthology film from Damien Leone titled All Hallows’ Eve. Played by Mike Giannelli, Art the Clown was a sadistic killer clown with a surprising flare and menacing grin. Using his original short film, Terrifier (2011) as a video within All Hallows’ Eve, Damien Leone created a legacy with this 2013 anthology. In 2016, Art would be unleashed upon the masses in a big way with a feature-length version of Terrifier with David Howard Thornton taking over as titular clown.
Terrifier exploded across Netflix, bringing a gore-filled story to horror audiences worldwide. Audiences loved it. Albeit killer clowns aren’t anything new, but there was originality in the story and characters. Teaming that with the creativity of the kills and locations made for a refreshing movie. In a world where all killer clowns are instantly compared to Pennywise, much like all shark movies are compared to Jaws, Art’s sadistic nature and physicality make him an instant horror icon.
As someone who isn’t a big fan of over-the-top gory films, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the original film. Normally my reaction to gore-induced films isn’t one of fear, but rather queasiness. There was a moment where I thought I may revisit my lunch when Art produced a hacksaw – if you know, you know – but I managed to keep myself from vomiting, surprising myself by cheering for the use of practical effects as opposed to computer generated effects.
Fast forward six years later and Art is back, picking up right where he left off.
The storyline is as follows; Resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.
Fear doesn’t begin to describe what Art unleashes on the town as he silently stalks his prey.
The biggest challenge facing Damien Leone was always going to be one-upping the infamous hacksaw death. And between you and me, I wasn’t sure it could be done.
I’m happy to admit I was wrong.
Lying in bed after dinner on October 4th, I settled down to watch the screener I had been sent. I had to pause the film 4 times as nausea washed over me. At one point, I was hugging the toilet bowl as I succumbed to the same affliction plaguing US audiences.
Never, in all my years as a horror fan or an entertainment journalist, have I ever been so strongly affected by a movie, and that includes being sent to watch The Human Centipede 2 in cinemas.
Despite that, I loved every minute of it.
From the compelling and complex character development to the copious amounts of gore, to the earworm of a song known as The Clown Café, Terrifier 2 managed to live up to its predecessor, dare I say, surpassing it with a brutality usually reserved for a Mortal Kombat fatality.
There were moments where I laughed out loud because I could see how much fun David Howard Thornton was having as Art. Hamming up the silent clown trope, his over-the-top facial expressions were playful yet terrifying. Art’s aesthetic is simplistic; his black and white ensemble often sprayed red with blood from his victims makes for a formidable horror villain. When he entered a laundromat to wash his costume after the events of the first film, the film dived into the psychology of our deranged clown, introducing us to his new terrifying friend called the Little Pale Girl, whose demonic appearance matches his.
Without wanting to give away too much of the story, just trust me when I say the blood, guts, and gore are ramped up to an eleven in comparison to the original movie. Art’s sadistic nature is on full display as he shows no mercy to any of his victims. Like most horror movies, under-developed characters are fodder for the body count. In the case of Terrifier 2, each victim has enough of a backstory and a personality that we automatically feel empathy for them. A rarity for most film genres.
For those die-hard horror nerds, some of the background characters will bring a smile to your face. Keep your eyes peeled for Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp) and Tamara Glynn (Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers) as Ms. Principe and the mother shopping with her child at the costume store.
Speaking of cast, Lauren LaVera in her role of Sienna has stamped her place in horror history as a definitive scream queen. This badass babe displayed undeniable strength when most people would have given up. Tormented by her own demons, Sienna is one of the most well-rounded characters in recent horror history. Her struggles with her mental health lapses over into her relationships with her mother and friends. Despite all that, she finds the courage to fight against Art to protect her younger brother.
Casey Hartnett and Kailey Hyman were exceptional as Sienna’s best friends, Allie and Brooke respectively. Unlike most supporting players, these two were likable and I found myself actively rooting for their survival. Elliot Fullam was Jonathan, Sienna’s younger brother. Obsessed with Art the Clown and his murderous rampage from a year ago, Jonathan finds himself a target of the vicious killer, being used as bait to lure his sister to an abandoned amusement park for the final act of the film.
There’s not much I can say about this film other than I loved every minute of it. While not a perfect film by any means (but then again, what film is perfect) Terrifier 2 has made a name for itself.
Opening in less than 850 cinemas America-wide, it grossed $1.2 million in its opening weekend. No doubt as it gears up for another weekend run, alongside fellow Halloween juggernaut, Michael Myers, it will increase its intake as curiosity takes hold.
I’ve seen this film twice now and can say with absolute certainty that Art the Clown has earned his place in the horror icon hall of fame alongside characters like Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Pennywise.
Terrifier 2 is an experience. With solid casting, writing, filmmaking techniques, and indisputable passion, this sequel is breaking records right, left, and center, proving that there is a place at box office for the humble indie film.
Rating 9/10
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