Terrifier 2 (2022)

_Terrifier 2_ is a massive improvement over its parent film but doesn't quite do enough to move the needle for me. From the get-go, this films tone and quality is drastically superior to the previous entry. The writing gives characters room to develop, and audiences can actually grow attached to characters in way that was blatantly absent from the first film. I enjoyed the added lore for Art that was sprinkled throughout, adds a level of depth to the newly founded horror icon. The writing allows for much more creative kills and set pieces, with the story taking place across an entire town rather than one claustrophobic apartment building. But with all those improvements, there are still lingering problems that carried over from the first film. Actor performances were all over the board. Some actresses were really compelling and honestly shocked me for the indie type feel of the film. Some notable highlights for me were the lead actress _Lauren LaVera_, _Kailey Hyman_, and _Elliott Fullam_. But other performances were legitimately bad, it felt like I was watching a high school drama production. There are some major pacing problems, for starters this movie is almost 2.5 hours long. There is no need for a runtime this long, there is so much fluff in here that it really bogs down the flow of the film. This movie does a better job of adding suspense to its scenes but is too reliant on blood and gore to get its gasps from the audience. I normally am one to appreciate when a movie goes above and beyond in the gore department, but this movie went overboard. So many scenes had be physically ill due to the graphic content. Sometimes less is more and that is for sure the case here. Despite its flaws, this is a great next step for this small-time studio and with the success at the box office there will surely be a sequel where Dameon Leone has the opportunity to craft a real top notch horror film.

**Score:** _63%_ |
**Verdict:** _Decent_

I liked the first Terrifier movie better. This one just seemed to be an excuse to show blood and gore and there was a lot of wasted time on dream sequences (or, rather, nightmares).

Art the Clown is as creepy and vicious as ever but there's just not enough story to support the very long running time (it's over two hours!).

Not recommended.

David Howard Thornton is back as Art the Clown in Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2. Art is resurrected and sets his sights on a brother and sister on Halloween. I couldn’t wait to watch this!

Positives:

The kills. Very brutal and gory. I would say bloodier than the first.
I think there is more of a story than in the first Terrifier. More character development with the brother and sister.

Negatives

I think 2 hrs 18 mins is way too long. I feel that in the middle it was a little slow and could have been cut.
I was hoping for more of a backstory of Art the Clown but they spent more time on the brother and sister than him.
Does Terrifier 2 fit into the Terrifier franchise? Yes. If you enjoyed the first movie you should watch Terrifier 2. If you were on the fence about the first one, check this one out. If you don’t like blood and gore, pass on this movie.

Rating: 3/5

I didn't love the first of these (2016) but I thought that maybe after a few years they could improve on the formula. Sadly, not to be. It's more or less the same as the last one, only this time our menacingly rampaging clown "Art" is targeting would be trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Personally, I'm with him all the way as that's an habit that deserves all it gets with irritating spoilt kids marauding the streets demanding candy. Utilising to best effect his natural disguise, "Art" alights on "Sienna" (Lauren Silva) and her geeky brother "Jonathan" (Elliott Fulham) and a-slashing we all go. Unfortunately, the acting and writing aren't up to much but that's not so bad as the repetitively procedural nature of the gory violence. From one implausible scenario to another and with characters who make the most stupid of decisions when facing a crisis, we plod along relentlessly with loads of screaming and histrionics. It's just like one of those video games where the dead never stay dead for long, and so with this immortality comes a sense of ennui as the plot struggles to engage or innovate and ends up like an extended edition of "Scooby Do". The sinister characterisation of the baddie has long since lost any sort of impact and I"m afraid that I just found this an exceptionally long and dreary old watch that was yelling franchise at us from fairly early on. Terrifying? Well no, not remotely.

A sizeable improvement on the first film.

<em>'Terrifier 2'</em> features a very good lead performance from Lauren LaVera, who is the major plus point for this movie. David Howard Thornton merits praise, of course, as Art the Clown too. I noted in my review of the original that I wanted more from Art and this certainly gives more. Everything does feel stepped up a notch.

I must say, though, that the run time is too long. I did lose interest towards the conclusion, a length similar to its predecessor would've been perfect; two hours plus really isn't necessary for a film like this, with respect. At least we get some good ol' gory violence throughout.