Terrifier 2

Some people might think that the most interesting characters in a film has to have dialogue. That is actually not true, because the most interesting characters can deliver a performance through facial expressions and body language. To be able to do this and deliver an interesting character, you have to find a combination that works. Something that captures the audience right from the start, with a character that you will not forget. And that is exactly what happened in a independent horror anthology film called All Hallow´s Eve from director Damien Leone. In this film we were introduced to a killer clown character known as Art The Clown ( played by actor Mike Giannelli ). In my opinion, Art The Clown was the highlight of All Hallow´s Eve. There was just something unique about this clown character, and i definetely felt that we needed to see more of this character. So in 2016 director Damien Leone released a stand alone film for the character known as Art The Clown, this time played by actor David Howard Thornton. The film is called Terrifier, and have since then gotten some respect in the horror community. When the film came out i really enjoyed it, and it is still a cozy heart warming film to enjoy. The difference between All Hallow´s Eve and Terrifier is that this film definetely show us a much more bigger portrait of Art The Clown than before, and actor David Howard Thornton knew exactly how to play this character in his own unique way. The film turned out to be really brutal with practical effects, just the way i like cozy films to be. I wacthed this film several times after the film came out on Blu Ray, and i thought director Damien Leone did a great job on the limited budget. It turned out that a sequel would be made, and an Indiegogo campaign was made to get fans involved into the making of the sequel. The campaign did very well and the fan base proved to be quite big worldwide. So here we are with a sequel to Terrifier that´s been running in cinemas for a while, and can now be found on physical media. I decided to pick up a copy myself to see if this sequel would be better than i expected. Is Terrifier 2 one of the best horror releases of 2022, or does this sequel fail to deliver the same entertainment level as the first film did?

Art The Clown ( David Howard Thornton is resurrected by a sinister entity, and returns to the timid town of Miles County. Here he finds his path to new victims, and especially in one specific family, where the young woman Sienna ( Lauren LaVera ) will be forced to fight for her life. 

The first film of Terrifier proved that you could make a really funny slasher film with lots of practical effects. This sequel continue on that path and tries to take the brutality to a whole different level. And if you want really brutal killings, look no further. There are some really brutal scenes in this film, so be prepared for a snack feast. Terrifier 2 does something completely different compared to the first film, and that is focusing more on other characters than Art The Clown. One reason may be because this film is so long ( over 2 hours and 15 minutes ), they had plenty of time to get deeper into the characters. We especially get to know the character known as Sienna ( played by actress Lauren LaVera ), and i have to say, i am impressed how well she managed to portrait this character. Since i have never seen Lauren acting in a film before, she definetely give a solid performance, especially when her battle scenes against Art The Clown. Speaking of Art, we have to mention actor David Howard Thornton of course, and his performance as America´s evangelical favourite family clown. I have always been fascinated how he have managed to make Art such a odd clown character. He did not create Art of course, but he did develope the character through the first Terrifier film and made him into the extremely murderous beast he is today. In this sequel he continues to give us a portrait of Art, filled with body language and face expressions that he does so well. The new female clown character The Little Pale Girl, played by actress Amelie McLain is wonderful in this film. I would love to see her return in a future film as the same character. So is there anything negative to say? I feel that the length is a bit too long for a slasher film. I understand that this sequel is more character driven than the first film, but i honestly prefer the simple tone that the first film had. We found out enough about the characters and could still enjoy the slasher scenes. This does not mean that Terrifier 2 is a bad horror film, it´s not. There are still plenty of details to enjoy, and i guarantee slasher fans will be pleased. I do believe though that they could have cut down at least 15 minutes and trimmed down on some of the dialogue scenes, without damaging the final result. Other than that i can´t complain, Terrifier 2 deliver what the fans want, and there is plenty of gore to be found here. Director Damien Leone keep his colorful style from the first film and add some new details, and proves that he clearly have a passion for this genre. Terrifier 2 gives hope for practical effects in horror films in the future, and we definetely need more of that. Pick up a Blu Ray copy for your next popcorn night, and who knows, maybe Art will crash the party and get everyone in the right mood.

Rating: DDD