TERRIFIER 3

"Enough from the clown!" are the infamous words spoken by Gambol in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, his frustration at Heath Ledger's Joker having the whole of Gotham's mob scene on strings on full show. Having watched the first two Terrifier films, and now the aptly titled Terrifier 3, it's exactly how I feel about Art the Clown and his horrific antics.

After surviving Art the Clown's (David Howard Thornton) Halloween massacre, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and her brother (Elliot Fullam) struggle to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. However, just when they think they're safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.

Speaking for myself, these films don't really do much for me and it always surprises me that they have as many fans as they do. That being said, this is the best Terrifier yet, even if it's still a bit off from being a good film. The most obvious improvement is the fact this actually looks like a film, a higher budget meaning better production value and a finish to the film that harkens back to old school grind house films. The opening to this film certainly is a sign of things to come as Art the Clown terrorises an innocent family on Christmas Eve. It just looks and feels better than the first two films put together. After that, there's choices made with the narrative that bog it down, yet again, to become far too long for its own good. Damien Leone simply has to learn when to stop because scenes just drag and the pacing suffers as a result.

The obvious standout of the Terrifier films are the copious amounts of gore and the effects utilised to bring it all to life. Just when I thought this instalment was running a bit low on violence, Leone dials it up to eleven from the shower scene onwards - those with a weak stomach might not want to watch. It's what the audience are here for however, it gets to the point in the drawn out finale that it just begins to feel like noise and nothing else. High praise to be given to the make up team and practical effects used but the good work is drowned out by the overbearing and headache inducing score. Honestly, the violence here makes Saw look humane!

Look out for a moment involving a Santa's Grotto in a shopping mall that, amidst all the chaos, shocked me they included it. It properly caught me off guard and fit the bill perfectly in Damien Leone's madcap Christmas bloodbath.

Coming to the performances, they are better here than before in the franchise. Lauren LaVera returns as Sienna and provides the film with a hero to truly root for as she battles Art and the demonic Vicky. The supporting cast compared to the previous films actually feel like they know how to deliver lines, which really does help provide entertainment throughout. Sadly, that's not the case though for Elliot Fullam as Jonathan, who once again is way out of his depth in trying to deliver a convincing performance.

David Howard Thornton has carved out a career in playing Art the Clown, which you just have to admire, and he is the best he's been yet with another truly maniacal turn. He's still an annoying character but there's less of the character stuff that became grating in the previous films, making for a much more bearable experience watching his performance this time round.

They clearly want more of these to be made with how it all ends and it definitely has its fans, the raucous applause that broke out as the film ended proving this. Wrapped in a bloody festive bow, Terrifier 3 is the most fun I've had with one of these films - even Santa being a target for Art's trail of violence.

Verdict: ★★½