Terrifier (2018)

Terrifier is a gory movie with a sadistic killer clown that revels in mutilating his victims in creative ways and willing to use any kind of improvised weapon as well as one not often seen in slasher movies. The movie makes effective use of practical effects and the gory murders are graphic enough to make you know this movie means business. David Howard Thornton stars as Art the Clown and his portrayal is devilishly effective as a villain who is mute and must use facial gestures to express himself in his ghoulish clown makeup. The story is the usual cat and mouse variety but this film is more about watching Art capture, torture and mutilate his victims. Terrifier is an effective and bloody slasher film that follows the usual formula of 1980's horror films and has crowned Art the Clown as one of the new faces of horror.

_Terrifier_ had a lot of hype behind it with its very successful sequel hitting theaters this month, and unfortunately it did not translate to a pleasurable viewing experience. Before I jump into my criticisms of the film, the on-screen quality of visuals and effects were top notch for a budget of a mere $25,000. It is amazing what this crew was able to do with their conditions and everyone involved should be proud. With that being said, the limited budget does not give excuses for a poor script, dialogue and performances. This movie had a tremendous amount of cringe with perverted dialogue that seemed as if a middle schooler wrote it. The performances were campy, but not in a good way. In classic horror films the camp has a sense of nostalgia and a sign of the times but with this modern film with kills and elements that are taking themselves somewhat seriously, it just comes off as bad. The actor behind Art did do a fantastic job though. His portrayal of a mute killer who communicates to his victims with mimes and clown tricks was funny and chilling at the same time. The plot on its face did not have much depth to it. It boiled down to people in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no added depth or lore to why these events were happening, although I did enjoy how each character who was tragically murdered had a connection the plot and were not just some random people introduced and killed in a single scene just to pad the kill count. As horror film, this movie failed to add any stakes or tension. The director leaned more into the gore which can be unsettling to look at but never made me feel uneasy. There was no build up to any of the kills, these classic horror elements made the movie seem extremely bland. Overall, I think this film is a marvel from a technical perspective based on its low budget, but when judging it from a film perspective it left me bored and waiting for the credits.

**Score:** _33%_
**Verdict:** _Bad_

"Tara" (Jenna Kanell) and best pal "Dawn" (Catherine Corcoran) have had a bit too much to drink to drive when they encounter a rather melancholy looking clown. The latter woman makes some snide remarks before both revert to a pizza place to try and sober up. Guess who comes in? So far it's all a bit benign, but when the girls return to their car to discover a flat tyre and "Tara" desperate for a pee, a nearby building proves tempting for it's plumbing - but of course it's not what it appears nor is our rather sad friend anywhere near done with his (or her) evening's work. As slasher's go, this is actually quite fun and there's a bit of menace aided well by the paucity of dialogue from our calculating antagonist. Sadly, though, that cannot be extended into the characterisations of the two women who just annoyed pretty much from the get go. Loud, obnoxious and capable of some of the most stupid decisions ever committed to celluloid. Things get even more preposterous when sister "Victoria" (Samantha Scaffidi) turns up to collect the stranded pair and proves to be even more dumb than her sibling when it comes to risk taking and wandering about a derelict old building at night - all whilst the radio has been relaying warnings of a marauding slasher about town. It's mercifully short, which does help keep the pace tight but the acting from those with speaking parts is pretty woeful, as it the writing that gives them their lines - and by the end, I was very, very, much in the corner of a baddie who ought to have been left to get on with the job!

Terrifier proves you don’t need a big budget to make a movie — just $35,000, a bucket of fake blood, and a clown with the worst dentist in town.

<em>'Terrifier'</em> is a mixed bag.

The gory stuff is done to a decent degree, even if those moments are a bit too few and far between. Art the Clown certainly looks and acts the part, even if I wanted more from the character - giving him a voice would've made him more creepy in my opinion, rather than complete silence.

This 2016 flick was made on a tiny budget, something that is very evident throughout, but given that you do have to hold appreciation for the filmmakers. I will say, though, that the level of acting is iffy and the dialogue is rather terrible, at least for the most part. The former is understandable given the aforementioned, though the latter is a negative.

I am anticipating better from <em>'Terrifier 2'</em> and <em>'Terrifier 3'</em>, given the presumption of a larger budget and all that comes with that. I still respect this original attempt, but I personally wouldn't class it as anything that is strongly worth watching.