Although all the Terrifier movies are frightening, the upcoming indie slasher sequel Terriifer 3 seems to be the scariest movie in the series so far. None of Art the Clown’s movies are harmless fun. From his first appearance in the 2008 short film “The 9th Circle” through to 2022’s sleeper hit sequel Terrifier 2, the horror antagonist has always been a chilling screen presence. That said, the tone of Art the Clown’s movies has shifted over time. 2016’s Terrifier is grim and intense, whereas Terrifier 2 is a more heightened, self-consciously wild horror story.
Terrifier 2’s stomach-churning violence ensures it is a brutal watch, but the sequel lacks the tension of Terrifier. Terrifier features more straightforward suspense sequences, whereas Terrifier 2 leans into over-the-top gore effects more often. Now, the upcoming sequel Terrifier 3 is ready to bring back more of the original movie’s atmosphere. Set five years after the events of Terrifier 2, Terrifier 3 sees Art the Clown return for another gruesome killing spree as Lauren LaVera’s Sienna tries to put an end to his supernatural massacre. Unlike Terrifier 2, Terrifier 3 will return to the franchise’s horror roots.
Terrifier 3’s Director Promised It Would Be The Scariest Installment Yet
Director Damien Leone Shared His Hope To Increase Terrifier 3’s “Creep Factor”
It is strange to call Terrifier 2 silly when the sequel famously had viewers vomiting and passing out in the aisles due to its intense gore. However, it is worth noting that Damien Leone’s earlier efforts featuring Art the Clown were more focused on tension than the sequel. Terrifier 2 remained appropriately terrifying, but it wasn’t as relentless as Leone’s earlier work. The director himself acknowledged this was a post on X, formerly Twitter. Leone stated that, after Terrifier 2’s excesses, he wanted Terrifier 3 to bring back the “Creep factor” of Art the Clown’s first short film appearance.
Terrifier 3’s trailer features glimpses of a horrifying hellish nightmare world.
Judging by Terrifier 3’s first full-length trailer, the director has managed this aim admirably. Terrifier 3’s trailer features glimpses of a terrifying hellish nightmare world, Art the Clown soaked in blood, and his new accomplice Victoria cutting a bloody swath through new victims. Terrifier 3’s story is almost guaranteed to have a downbeat ending thanks to Sienna’s unexplained link to Art, and the trailer makes it clear that no one will be safe from the slasher villain this time around. In one unsettling sequence, Art sets up shop as a mall Santa and is surrounded by children.
Terrifier 2
earned over $15 million on a budget of only $250,000 upon its 2022 release.
Terrifier 3 Definitely Looks Like The Franchise’s Scariest Movie To Date
Terrifier 3’s Trailer Looks More Traditionally Scary Than Terrifier 2
This moment alone proves that Terrifier 3 will center on suspense more than its predecessor. While Terrifier 2 featured some lengthy chase scenes, the movie was mostly concerned with spectacularly gross murder sequences. In contrast, Terrifier 3’s Christmas setting offers many more opportunities for Art the Clown to play the role of a murderous Santa Claus. Home invasions and sequences like the mall Santa scene mean the sequel will lean further into atmospheric horror and build up unbearable tension before the inevitable gory payoff. Thus, Terrifier 3 could fulfill Leoen’s promise and become the scariest Terrifier movie.