Released in 2024 Terrifier 3 is the most recent film in the brutal gore-bound franchise- focusing on Art The Clown. It upped the creative kills, levels of slopping guts ‘n’ lopping limbs with generally more gleeful deranged air- though on the downside it has a slightly muddled structure/ flow, and it doesn’t really advance/ fill in the series mythos. Here from Signature Entertainment is a Blu Ray release of the film.

I’ve followed the Art character since the pre-Terrifier days when he appeared in one of the stories in the 2013 horror anthology All Hallows Eve. So, when I first heard that New York born writer/ director Damien Leone was doing a third Terrifier film, I was most excited. So, at the end of last year, I went along to see the film in the cinema, and I must admit I had rather mixed feelings as the credits rolled.  So, it’s great to revisit the film on this Blu-Ray- and though my feelings remain mixed, I certainly enjoyed it more than my first watch.

The film runs at two hours and four minutes- largely taking place five years after the events of the second film. It’s just before Christmas, and Sienna (Lauren LaVera) has just been released from the psychic ward- going to stay with Aunt Jessica( Margaret Anne Florence), her husband Greg(Bryce Johnson), and their pre-teen daughter Gabbie( Antonella Rose).  Meanwhile, her younger brother Jonathan( Elliott Fullam) is at University- trying to put the past behind him, with his jock roommate, and his girlfriend who is obsessed with the Art murder case….but of course Art returns, with his new side-kick Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi) who the clown mutilated in part two.

As mentioned in my introduction- one of the issues here is the structure/ flow of the whole thing- as yes, the lion's share of the film regards Art and the lead characters. We also get random sketches with Art that don’t link into the fabric of the rest of the film- these each last around fifteen/ twenty minutes, and while they include some impressive/ extreme effects they do damage the flow of the whole thing. These move from the opening few nights before Christmas scene- where a little girl can’t get to sleep due to hearing something on the roof. Art visits a bar and meets Santa, and Art turns up at a toy store pretending to be Santa- though the final one does have very loose threading into the main plotting.

The two key elements here are Art and the gore- I’d say once again David Howard Thornton does a decent job as the killer clown, though I must say there is less of the creepy/ unsettling stares and more of the gleeful playfulness. The gore is truly upped to new levels, and as a downside one does get a little desensitized- and there is nothing here as shocking/brain-searingly distributing as the bedroom scene in part two. Talking of the more memorable scenes- we have a full face scalp as Victoria pleasures herself with a piece of glass, legs/arms/ face frozen then smashed up, and there is the prolonged shower scene- where Art goes at a couple with a chainsaw- first looping off fingers, and limbs before going straight through the torso.

I think my main gripe/ issue with the film is that the mythos of Art isn’t further, developed, or explained more. But with this second watch, I must say some of my initial issues have been reduced. so, while I’m still annoyed by the unanswered questions- for the most part Terrifier 3 is a decent sequel.

The Blu-Ray is fairly sparse on the extras side- we only get just over seventeen minutes of a making of- this features a mix of behind-the-scenes footage, make-up preparation, and a look behind how some of the big effects were done. We also get three trailers. It’s a real pity there was no commentary track- with either the cast, Leone, or even a horror film critic. But I guess the small number of extras is fairly on par with most mainstream/ larger releases.

In finish, I’d say Terrifier 3 is a good- at-points great addition to the franchise. It’s already been confirmed there will be a fourth film- I guess we can look for more of the same and hope for more explanation/ answers regarding those unanswered questions.