Kid Killing Toroture Porn
You may have heard that kids die in Terrifier 3. I’ll give you a moment to relinquish you hold on that string of pearls around your neck. Won’t someone think of the children! But believe it or not, kids have died in horror before. In fact, it’s been going on as long as horror has existed. Have you read Frankenstein? Remember Georgie? Pennywise had no problem yanking his arm off and using him for a shocking snack to kick off the narrative. And the back story of Freddy Krueger makes it clear he’s a child murderer. He loved it so much he came back from the dead to do it some more.
So yes, Art the Clown kills kids in Terrifier 3, and it’s nothing new. But if that causes some kind of controversy, sells some tickets, and puts horror in the spotlight, I’m not complaining. It’s an incredibly gory movie. Some might suggest that it’s so over-the-top in that aspect that it loses some of its effect, because almost comical, some kind of parody of gore. Can a human body suffer that much and keep going? Probably not. What I will say, though, is that the effects work is magnificent. It’s great to see practical effects done well. It makes me a little bit angry about all of the dodgy CGI blood we were subjected to in horror movies from the early Noughties.
So, accepting that gore is present, the question is whether anything of substance is left when we take it away. I’d say there’s plenty.
But is it Art?
First, Art the Clown himself. He’s established himself as a horror icon with his mannerisms. He doesn’t say a word and uses over the top gesture. Across the films, it’s a great performance from David Howard Thornton. It’s stepped up further here. There are a number of standout scenes in this respect. There’s the bar scene where he shows him excitement about meeting Santa. Better is when he’s outside a room in which two people are discussing him and he reacts to each of their statements. At this point, Art has personality. We’re watching for him and what he does as much as any other aspect.
What Terrifier 3 does better than Terrifier 2 is plot. I didn’t love Terrifier 2. I felt the pacing was off, and there were huge plot holes. Elements were missing and the fantastical element was never explained despite key parts of it being introduced. Terrifier 3 does help make sense of some of that. The two films work much better together than an individual pieces.
Final Girl Trauma
Because of that, we also have a couple of key returning characters in Sienna and Jonathan. But what they went through in Terrifier 2 has affected them massively. I’m always interested in horror sequels when they bring back a survivor. They’re normally innocent and naïve in the first movie, and when thrown back into the spotlight act in a different way. Follow Tommy Jarvis from Friday the 13th part 4, to part 5 and into part 6 to see how that trauma can affect the evolution of a character. Halloween recently returned to Laurie Stroud to show what a character who had repeatedly suffered at the hands of a monster can turn into. Here, Sienna reminds me of Hellraiser’s Kirsty Cotton. Her survival, her mental state, her struggle to rise up and fight through it all over again is an aspect of the movie I really enjoyed. Lauren LaVera does a fantastic job.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s perfect. There are still some questionable story elements. Some of what goes on with Vicky is beyond comprehension (though it makes more sense that Terrifier 2). And for all the talk of gruesome death on screen, one death that happens off-screen felt a little unfair (I understand why it’s done this way, but…).
So yes, the set pieces, the gushing blood, the creative use of weapons, the extended scenes of the destruction of the body are in there. Some people will love that aspect. Some will use it as an excuse to divert their eyes (or avoid the series altogether). But what I liked most was what was going on beyond that. I went into the film unsure whether I’d enjoy it. I left eager for the next part. Director Damien Leone is clearly doing something right.
Verdict
So, what is it? Is it Kid Killing Torture Porn? Actually, Leone cuts away (poor word choice..?) from showing what might disgust people most. Yes, the gore is more extreme than in a mainstream horror (but really, does anyone enjoy The Conjuring Universe?) but in terms of the events, it doesn’t go beyond what we’ve seen in horror before.
Is it an in-depth and clever study of final girl trauma? No! It’s a great performance from Lauren LaVera. The trauma is definitely part of it which makes it more interesting.
Funnily enough, despite the polar arguments on social media, a film is capable of being much more than any one single thing at a time. Terrifier 3 might disgust you. It might entertain you. There’s a possibility it will surprise you. For that reason, it’s worth a watch.
And if you like a weird occult vibe and buckets of blood, perhaps Guy Fawkes: Demon Hunter will appeal to you?