This year, Damien Leone's slasher threequel Terrifier 3 has taken the world by storm. From being a hit with critics and audiences alike to viciously tearing through box office records, the film is nothing short of a massive monument to the horror genre, as it currently claims the title of being the highest-grossing unrated film ever.
This success didn’t come overnight, however, as Leone has been working to make the Terrifier franchise what it is today for over a decade. On this list, I will break down all the films in which the infamous Art the Clown has wreaked havoc.
5. Terrifier short (2011)
While not the first outing of Art the Clown, the 2011 Terrifier short film lays out a lot of the key aspects of the 2016 film, tonally and stylistically. The two biggest examples are the bony, almost inhuman facial structure of Art the Clown and the old-school film grain effect and low lighting that gave the first feature in the franchise that low-budget 80s look.
However, this short goes a bit overboard with that effect. Nonetheless, the Terrifier short serves as a solid prelude to the 2016 feature audiences would come to know and fear, and the film's star, Marie Maser, delivers a fantastic performance!
4. The 9th Circle (2008)
Originally made in 2008 this short laid the foundation for many key aspects of what audiences would find in Terrifier, including Art The Clown himself. Though this film's Art is a far cry from the one we’ve come to know and love, instead, he looks more human.
This short also features many of the same visuals and character types in Terrifier. However, the film also contains much more supernatural and demonic elements, similar to the later installments of the Terrifier franchise. Leone's VFX brings these demonic creatures to life hauntingly, and it's wild to see how far he's come as a director and as a killer makeup magician. Both of these shorts are included in All Hallow's Eve.
3. Terrifier (2016)
The one that started it all for a lot of fans, the 2016 film Terrifier brought Art the Clown's viciousness into a feature-length format. This would also be the first time Art the Clown would be played by David Howard Thornton, with the previous two entries starring Mike Giannelli as Art.
While the film began to garner a cult following, it also brought its fair share of critics along with it. It became a polarizing piece in the horror community and a benchmark for how much intense violence horror fans could endure, highlighted by its now-infamous hacksaw scene. Despite the film growing in popularity after being put on Netflix, we still wouldn't find ourselves back in Art the Clown's sights until 2022.
2. Terrifier 2 (2022)
The follow-up to the cult hit was nothing short of massive. While Terrifier got its long-anticipated sequel more than five years after it came out the majority of the horror community would say it was worth the wait. Terrifier 2 was crowdfunded via Kickstarter and raised over 200k for its budget.
The film took everything from the first installment up by several notches, especially the body count and how brutally those bodies got added to the count. The film also began diving into the more direct supernatural elements teased all the way back in The 9th Circle and introduced the franchise's final girl, Sienna Shaw, played by Lauren LaVera. The film's success was monumental, and it would be no surprise to anyone that we'd be getting a third installment.
1. Terrifier 3 (2024)
At the number one spot is the latest and greatest entry in the franchise, Terrifier 3. The third installment to the franchise brings the nastiest and most vile Terrifier to date, with no one safe from the chopping block. Terrifier 3 follows Art the Clown and his now traumatized survivors five years after the events of Terrifier 2, with Sienna Shaw and her brother facing a vicious Christmas killing spree at the hands of Art and his partner in crime, the possessed body of Vic from Terrifier 1.
Those who know me know I love a good Christmas horror flick, something about the joyous yet sometimes somber visuals of the holiday season clashing with the blood and terror of slasher films make for some damn good horror flicks. Terrifier 3 does exactly that, letting a festively dressed Art the Clown deck the halls with the blood of anyone who crosses his path. The film also continues to add to the otherworldly lore of both Art the Clown and Sienna Shaw, shaping up what is sure to be an intense and bold fourth and final (?) installment.
Terrifier 3 is available now on digital and physical media, as well as Terrifier 1 and Terrifier 2, with The 9th Circle and Terrifier (2011) being available via All Hallows Eve on Tubi.