Terrifier 3first reactions have arrived following the film’s recent premiere. Directed by Damien Leone, the third installment in theTerrifierfranchise features Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) returning to unleash more gore-filled chaos, this time upon the residents of the peaceful Miles County as they settle down for Christmas Eve. TheTerrifier 3castfeatures several notably returning actors and newcomers alike, including Lauren LaVera, Jason Patric, Daniel Roebuck, Samantha Scaffidi, Charlotte McKee, Bryce Johnson, and Krsy Fox, with a theatrical release scheduled for next month.
Following the film’s premiere at Fantastic Fest, critics and audiences are taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their first impressions ofTerrifier 3. So far, the reactions are overwhelmingly positive, with viewers praising the extreme gore and a continuation of what made previous installments so memorable. The new installment, according to several posts, also digs deeper into franchise lore. Check out select reactions below:
“The gore tops the previous entries and Art is more malicious than ever,” writesRyan Ranc. He also teases some “gag-worthy kills” and praises LaVera’s performance, in particular.
Cody Leachclaims thatTerrifier 3"is everything you want if you’re a fan of the franchise. It nicely blends the tone of the previous 2 while pushing the lore and characters forward in interesting ways." He also confirms that it’s “brutal AS F**K.”
According toCris Parker, the third entry is a “gruesome & festive ride"with a “moody dark aesthetic” and some “BAT-SH!T kills.”
Noah Levinehypes the film as “an absolute splatter fest of unseen proportions,” and he teases that there’s a particularly brutal shower scene “that will go down in history.” He also praises how the film digs deeper into franchise lore, comparing it theHellraiser.
“TERRIFIER 3 is some absolutely depraved sicko sh*t,” writesAlex Papaioannou, stressing that this is a positive thing. He also praises the film’s visuals and its “all-timer final girl sequence.”
Jacob Harpercalls the film “bloody and blasphemous in all the right ways.”
“Each kill sequence deliver [sic] something new, gnarly, & memorable,” writesSean Chandler. He ultimately calls the film “a worthy follow up & escalation of the series.”
“Damien Leone once again pushes back all the barriers of hardcore trash with a Terrifier 3 on the verge of vomiting overdose,” writesMathias Peyre. Peyre also also claims that Leone’s film tops a particularly violent kill inIn A Violent Nature(2024).
Leonehimself would also share a message of appreciation after the screening, writing: “Thank you to everyone who showed up at [Fantastic Fest] to watch the world premiere of Terrifier 3. You guys are awesome and your support for this franchise means the world. We loved hearing those reactions tonight.”
Multiple X posts from after the screening have claimed that Leone has confirmedTerrifier 4is now in the works.
What The Terrifier 3 Reactions Mean For The Film
Will It Repeat Terrifer 2’s Success?
The reactions toTerrifier 3, in many ways, mirror the reactions toTerrifier 2(2022). After upping its budget to $250,000 from the $35,000 the original movie was made for, the sequel ended up earning positive reviews and grossing over $15 million worldwide. Picking up some time after theTerrifier 2ending, the third film ups the ante once more, sporting a reported budget of $2 million.
Art The Clown Is So Much Scarier In Terrifier 3 Thanks To This Big Sequel Change
As brutal and gruesome as his kills were in the first two Terrifier movies, Art the Clown is even scarier in Terrifier 3 for one significant reason.
The first reactions to the threequel suggest thatLeone has once again made a crowd-pleasing gore-fest, and the film could well end up repeating the second movie’s success.Terrifier 2also benefited from a viral release in which some theater audiences are reported to have vomited or passed out during screenings. The posts above suggestTerrifier 3may feature similar events during its theatrical rollout, which could help spread awareness and ultimately see the film achieve commercial success.
Our Take On Terrifier 3’s First Reactions
What It Says About Art The Clown’s Franchise Future
From what’s been shared online so far, it doesn’t sound as if the third movie will be winning over any audiences who didn’t likeArt’s adventures inTerrifier 2or the first film. This is a franchise that appeals to a specific kind of movie-goer, and it now has a passionate fanbase that could carry this film and a potentialTerrifier 4to success.
Terrifier 3seemingly ups the gore from the previous installment, butthis does raise the question of how future films in the franchise will be able to continue upping the ante before it reaches a point of diminishing returns. The first reactions, however, suggest the franchise hasn’t reached this point just yet, and those already onboard for Art’s gory antics seem to be in for another wild ride.
Source: Various (see above)
Terrifier 3
Cast
Terrifier 3 follows Sienna and her brother as they attempt to move past the traumatic events of Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre. As they embrace the Christmas season, Art reemerges, intent on turning their holiday into a nightmare, continuing his reign of terror.
