by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Are there lines in filmmaking that shouldn’t be crossed? This is a challenging question, as film is an art form, and we should not feel restricted when it comes to tackling uncomfortable topics and themes. But there is a question when it comes to their presentation, and how a filmmaker crafts the film can possibly be the issue. Horror as a genre often spotlights its presentation because of its boundary-pushing elements. Blood and gore have always been figures in the genre. Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a brutal film, but it honestly doesn’t show much, as there is a subtlety to how the scares are crafted. Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson have created gorefests over the years, but the use of camp allows for there to be balance and to not take what is going on too seriously. Films like Saw and Hostel began to take things into a whole new world with “torture porn.” But it is Leon’s Terrifier franchise that has pushed those boundaries so much as of late.
But where does Terrifier 3 land on this tightrope of a gory fun time and a disturbing presentation of mutilation for the sake of it? Overall, it is oppressively mean-spirited. Despite horror’s long history of gore, few films have used it in such a reckless and unabashedly cruel way. Is it necessary to show the mutilated and butchered corpses of children? Never. There are so many other ways a filmmaker can build tension, suspense, and outright horror so. It’s cheap and manipulative, and as clichéd and unnecessary as the “killing the dog” trope. Does that need to happen? No. But will it get a quick and visceral reaction out of people? Yes. The way Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) butchers and mutilates perfectly innocent people for prolonged (and specifically overlong) amounts of time is tasteless and undoes so many good things that Terrifier 3 would have had going for it.
On a positive note, some of the dark humor does land. There are fun, campy elements including a wild original Christmas song… but Terrifier style. Thornton is incredibly creepy and menacing as Art the Clown, with his impressive facial expressions and physical comedy. Few horror antagonists in recent memory spark such menace.
Leone is also quite creative in the “kills” department, even if he takes it too far, too often. There are sequences that are expertly crafted, with a good horror atmosphere (which makes it more frustrating when so much of the runtime is dedicated to cheap shock value). The film has a great, old-school, grindhouse look, which effectively invokes ‘70s horror, along with a well-done synthesizer score.
Plus, there is legitimately good emotion and connection to our protagonist Sienna; Lauren LaVera kills it with her strong and vulnerable performance. It is just unfortunate that so much of that great work is undermined by betraying that connection and serving up innocent characters for ruthless punishment.
Ultimately, on top of its mean-spirited nature, Terrifier 3’s tone is too uneven for it to work effectively as a horror/comedy. It tries to be funny, then becomes completely serious and unrelenting on a whim, undermining any level of camp it is going for, and creating some serious emotional whiplash. From a pacing standpoint, the film is uncomfortably uneven. There is no reason why it needed to be over two hours. Every killing scene is overlong — they could have easily been cut down and still hit the needed impact without the relentless amount of mutilation.
The film’s story and mythology are quite illogical, as if their only purpose is to keep this franchise going for more grotesque displays of violence and cruelty. The audience should be left to expect that any damage done to Art or his minions should have no consequences, and that leaves you wondering why this story is still going.
Much like with its predecessors, there is certainly an audience that loves and eats up the Terrifier franchise. This third entry is a mixed bag in terms of story and craft. Leone is obviously a talented filmmaker who does a lot of great things behind the camera; that is what makes this experience so frustrating. You can tell he knows how to build suspense and tension through subtle and good filmmaking. But the decision to go so far with the gore makes this only speak to a niche section of the audience. There is a lot of potential in Terrifier 3, but unfortunately all that’s left by the time the credits roll are sour stomachs and a lingering sense of frustration.
Rating: Hated It
Terrifier 3 is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd