With Terrifier 3 now in theaters, we rank Damien Leone’s gore-soaked Art the Clown series from worst to best!
When All Hallow’s Eve was released back in 2013, I doubt many of us thought we’d be getting a whole franchise out of the creepy miming clown. Yet we just saw the release of the third entry in the Terrifier franchise–and it’s set at Christmas! So we here at JoBlo wanted to take a look back on the series and see where exactly they fall in terms of quality. Because it’s the rare series that seems to “level up” with each entry, always improving upon the production in some way. Though, they’ve always had the blood and guts handled pretty well. After all, if there’s one thing the series is known for: it’s the gore. But there are also some great characters and shocking moments that give each film their distinct personalities. So let’s see where they fall!
The Worst: Terrifier 2 (2022)
I’ll probably get heat for this but I’ve never been a fan of the second entry. It’s too long and I never got into the strange backstory with Sienna. And the acting from young Jonathan made my ears bleed. But there are still plenty of great kills in this, as Art really languishes in the torture this time around. Plus, Lauren LaVera‘s Sienna has one of the most iconic final girl outfits of all time, with her winged warrior costume. And Art is really starting to get into his murder groove.
All Hallow’s Eve (2013)
Art the Clown appears in all three stories of this anthology film and it’s not quite the fully formed Art that we’re used to seeing. You may notice the makeup is a bit different and that’s because it’s not David Howard Thornton underneath it. Instead, Mike Giannelli plays Art and it’s decidedly less interesting. Art is still scary due to Leone’s vision for the character, but he does seem to be missing that special something. Even so, the stories unfolding are pretty gnarly, with several unexpected victims.
Terrifier (2016)
One thing that the first film does so well is feeling like an old campfire tale. Art is a force of nature and you feel terrible for anyone that crosses his path here. Catherine Corcoran has one of the best deaths of the series and it establishes Art as being absolutely ruthless. There’s not much in terms of character here as this is definitely the Art the Clown show. And that’s not a bad thing as he definitely leans into the more “mime on the verge of snapping” approach.
The Best: Terrifier 3 (2024)
Rarely does the third (fourth?) entry in a franchise end up being the best, especially when it goes for a gimmick like setting the film at Christmas. Yet somehow Terrifier 3 provides a truly fantastic experience from start to finish. From shocking moments that you can’t believe are actually happening to a more succinct plot, there’s a lot for horror fans to latch onto. Plus, is there anything better than people leaving your movie early because they’re so offended at what’s happening on screen? If anything, it’s a mark of pride. I absolutely loved this film and feel it’s the perfect way to do a holiday film, while not being beholden to the holiday for your plot. This allows the film to be watched whenever versus simply at Christmas time, which makes this a massive win.
How would YOU rank the Terrifier series? What did you think of Terrifier 3? Is Art the Clown a worthy bad guy? Let us know in the comments below!