Two young women are heading home after a Halloween party, a bit tipsy and ready for bed. Suddenly, their path crosses with Art the Clown, a mute, terrifying figure who turns their night into a gruesome fight for survival in an abandoned building. What follows is a descent into terror, punctuated by moments of dark, twisted humor.
If you’re tired of mainstream horror flicks with jump scares and predictable plots, Terrifier (2017) is the antidote you need. Directed by Damien Leone, this low-budget gem throws subtlety out the window and dives headfirst into graphic gore and unsettling clown horror. It’s not about jump scares; it’s about sustained dread and jaw-dropping practical effects that will leave even seasoned horror fans squirming. Forget polished cinematography and complex narratives; Terrifier is raw, visceral, and unapologetically trashy in the best possible way. It’s the kind of movie that reminds you why you fell in love with horror in the first place.
Many modern horror films that reach theaters often lack the edge and genuine terror that genre enthusiasts crave. We’ve all been through the disappointments of watered-down scares and predictable storylines. Terrifier bucks this trend spectacularly. It doesn’t insult your intelligence with cheap thrills; instead, it grips you with expertly crafted tension, a nerve-wracking synth soundtrack, and an onslaught of creatively brutal kills. While the plot is simple, the execution is anything but. The film opens with a chilling TV interview featuring a horribly disfigured woman, setting a grim tone immediately. This framing device quickly establishes that Art the Clown, the perpetrator, is still at large, a fact brutally confirmed when a clown-shoe-clad foot smashes the TV screen. This opening is a masterclass in setting up suspense and delivering a shocking twist early on, grabbing your attention instantly. If this opening doesn’t hook you, perhaps tamer horror is more your speed.
While Terrifier‘s visual style leans towards low-budget aesthetics, this rawness adds to its unsettling atmosphere. However, any concerns about production value quickly vanish once the gore starts flowing. It becomes clear that the majority of the budget was wisely allocated to special effects, and Leone doesn’t hold back. The practical gore effects are truly impressive, pushing the boundaries of on-screen brutality and satisfying the cravings of hardcore horror fans.
Adding to the film’s strengths are the performances, particularly from Jenna Kanell and Catherine Corcoran as the two women who become Art’s targets. They deliver believable performances, especially in the early scenes, making you care, at least a little, about their fate. While horror tropes suggest at least one of them is doomed, Leone takes his time, allowing their personalities to develop before the real mayhem begins. This build-up of character makes the impending horror even more impactful. The dread intensifies with every appearance of Art the Clown, portrayed with terrifying silence and unsettling physicality by David Howard Thornton. His presence alone is enough to induce chills, as he stalks the women, his grin a mask of pure, deranged menace. A scene in a pizza parlor perfectly encapsulates this, where Art’s unsettling mime-like interactions range from darkly humorous to utterly terrifying, leaving one woman amused and the other paralyzed with fear.
For those who crave relentless horror, Terrifier delivers in spades. The film’s centerpiece is an extended kill scene of such extreme and unflinching gore that it rivals the most notorious moments in extreme horror cinema. While it flirts with the boundaries of “torture porn,” it manages to stay on the right side of the line, primarily due to David Howard Thornton’s captivating performance as Art the Clown. He infuses the character with a bizarre mix of terrifying sadism and Chaplinesque physical comedy. His deranged grin becomes iconic, and his ability to elicit both revulsion and dark humor is a key element of the film’s twisted appeal. Thornton’s performance is genuinely remarkable, arguably surpassing even the lauded portrayal of Pennywise in recent It adaptations in terms of sheer unsettling clown horror.
Beyond the gore, Terrifier maintains an atmosphere of constant dread and gallows humor. While seasoned horror viewers might anticipate some of the plot twists, the film’s strength isn’t in shocking reveals but in the relentless and creative ways Art the Clown unleashes his terror. It’s a masterclass in tension building and gruesome payoff.
In summary, Terrifier offers:
- Characters you surprisingly root for.
- A genuinely eerie and oppressive atmosphere.
- Incredibly effective gore effects, especially considering the budget.
- A truly terrifying and surprisingly funny clown villain in Art the Clown.
So, the burning question for horror fans is: where to watch Terrifier?
As of now, Terrifier is available for streaming on Shudder. Shudder is a streaming service dedicated exclusively to horror, thrillers, and the supernatural, making it the perfect home for Terrifier. If you are a horror aficionado, Shudder is almost a must-have service, offering a vast library of genre films, from classics to new releases and exclusive content.
For those preferring to rent or purchase, Terrifier is also widely available on demand through various digital platforms:
- Amazon Prime Video: You can rent or buy Terrifier digitally on Amazon.
- Apple TV/iTunes: Terrifier is available for purchase or rent on iTunes.
- Google Play Movies & TV: Find Terrifier for rent or purchase on the Google Play store.
- Vudu: Terrifier is also offered for streaming, rental, or purchase on Vudu.
Whether you choose to stream it on Shudder or rent/buy it on digital platforms, Terrifier is easily accessible for viewing. If you are a fan of intense, gory, and genuinely disturbing horror, Terrifier is an absolute must-watch. Prepare to be terrified. It truly lives up to its name.
