Since Damien Leone’s Terrifier hit screens in 2016, Art the Clown, played by David Howard Thornton, has become a horror icon. From fan art to horror merch and beyond, he quickly cemented his place within the genre. And rightfully so. The first film was an all-out splatterfest and as mean-spirited as they come. We couldn’t get enough. That’s why fans were hyped when Leone announced Terrifier 2.
The film follows Art the Clown once again, now “resurrected by a sinister entity.” He returns to the same town that he first terrorized, this time targeting “a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.” One of the main criticisms audiences had regarding the 2016 film was the lack of character development and depth.
To remedy that, writer-director Leone added a family dynamic that ties into the first title, with Lauren LaVera playing teenage Sienna and Elliott Fullam playing her brother Jonathan. The siblings add needed layers for a more fleshed-out story; however, the emotional scenes sometimes drag out. There were moments that begged for more bloodshed but only saw tears. And, unfortunately, Fullam’s performance can’t quite match LaVera’s when it comes to heavy emotion. But as Sienna carries the film’s emotional weight, LaVera turns in an excellent performance.
Going into the film, I couldn’t help but wonder how Art can stay scary in a follow-up feature. As a slasher who doesn’t speak or get stealthy in a mask, had we seen his whole bag of tricks already? The answer is absolutely not. David Howard Thornton is brilliant as Art and mesmerizing to watch. Whether he’s simply trying on sunglasses in the background or chaotically murdering a room full of people, I never wanted his scenes to end. But this time, he’s not alone.
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The film introduces a new supernatural character. Despite the actress (Amelie McLain) being a teen, she has a performance even more terrifying than Art the Clown. I won’t go into detail to remain spoiler-free, but their scenes together were wonderfully horrific, and I would love to see more of her.
Finally, I can’t talk about Terrifier 2 without mentioning what we all want to see — the gore. The opening sets the tone for what’s to come, as Art the Clown is free to roam the town undetected since it’s Halloween, leaving a trail of bodies as he zeroes in on Sienna. While her first encounter with him actually takes place in dreamland, the stylized carnage that occurs is a true work of horror film art. Overall, the sequel somehow manages to go above and beyond the brutality we saw in the first film, and it’s a slasher treat.
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Given the almost two-and-a-half-hour runtime, there was surprisingly little filler. Other than a few scenes going a bit longer than needed, the pace flows well, and the horror rarely lets up. It’s great to see Art the Clown back on screen, especially with his new friend and a new final girl.
Terrifier 2 is now in theaters from Cinedigm in partnership with Iconic Events.
