Since 2016, I increasingly heard more and more about the Terrifier movies, which coincided with the number of folks in Art the Clown cosplay at horror conventions. Art predates the initial Terrifier movie from 2016, having appeared in a few anthologies before then, including All Hallows Eve, but the Art the Clown we all know really made his debut in that first feature-length film, written and directed by Damien Leone.

I have to confess I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first movie. I’m not a wimp when it comes to gore, but the hacksaw scene, among a few other kills, were a little too much even for me. It felt like violence for the sake of violence. It also sparked some criticism that the violence in the Terrifier movies is more often than not leveled at women. For example, the protagonist of the first film, Victoria (Samantha Scaffid), survives Art’s games, only to have her face eaten by him during the closing minutes, before police arrive and save her. She returns in the next two movies even more damaged and broken.

All of that said, I believe that Leone has improved quite a bit as a filmmaker since Art’s first appearances, and not only that, took seriously some of the criticism. Terrifier 2 is a much different film than the first one, more dream-like and not as paper-thin in terms of story. In several interviews, Leone cited Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors as a key influence. The film certainly warps and bends reality. More importantly, it introduces the franchise’s main protagonist, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera), whose final girl traits rival that of NOES’s Nancy, or any other franchise final girls.

Yes, the violence in Terrifier 2 is brutal, especially one particular scene involving Sienna’s friend Allie (Casey Hartnett). Art literally pours salt into her wounds after torturing her in her own bedroom. Yet, Sienna is a character created to counter Art. He’s a demon. She’s an angel; she even dresses like one for nearly the entire second half of Terrifier 2 (it’s her Halloween costume). Her costume also blends elements of an ancient warrior, with gold armor and breast plates. She even wields a magical sword that can defeat the big bad.

To be clear, Art gets in his licks, even whipping Sienna at one point, but Terrifier 2 works so well, in part, because it has a counter to Art’s brutality, a woman to root for in Sienna. She survives and wins the day, only to return in Terrifier 3 with a slightly different story arc, showcasing what happens to a final girl next and how she processes grief and trauma. This franchise isn’t the first to have such an arc. Consider Laurie Strode in Halloween H20, Halloween 2018, or even Rob Zombie’s underrated Halloween 2. Still, Terrifier 3 only deepens Sienna’s story. She pops pills. She’s in and out of the psych ward, and she has visions of her dead friends.

Leone returns more to the tone of the first film for the latest installment. EVERY kill is gruesome. In the opening, Art, dressed as Santa, murders a family, including children. There’s a gratuitous chainsaw scene by the halfway point. Sienna, meanwhile, deals with serious PTSD from the events of the second film. Yet, in the last act, she again goes toe to toe with Art, and though she suffers more serious loses, she again survives and will likely best him again in the fourth and maybe final film.

Terrifier 3 is my favorite of the franchise for a few reasons. It adds more character depth, both to Art and especially to Sienna. LaVera’s performance is the best so far, showing just how damaged Sienna is, while still so resilient and fierce. The pacing and direction are also tighter, maybe because Leone hired a special effects team he trusts to handle that part of the job, which allowed him to focus more on the script and directing.

The stakes in Terrifier 3 also feel much, much higher. Vic returns, playing a bigger role, possessed by Art, assisting him in the kills and his horrible plans. Nothing here feels off-limits, be it kids or characters close to the final girl. Everyone is fair game. This is also the point where I want to talk about David Howard Thornton’s performance as Art.

Thornton really shines in Terrifier 3. Yes, he’s horrifying, but he’s also pretty funny. I assume that Thornton studied silent movie comedians, such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. Terrifier 3, for as bloody as it is, has a few truly laugh out loud moments, due to Thornton’s performance and silent actions, his body language especially. The actor manages to convey and say so much without ever speaking. By the third movie, he’s truly perfected his role as Art the Clown.

Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Terrifier movies initially, I’m warming up to them. Only time and perspective will tell if Art the Clown is this generation’s Freddy, Jason, or Chucky, while Sienna is this generation’s Nancy. The fact this has been such an indie franchise, comparable to the initial Halloween or Friday the 13th, is also impressive, perhaps industry-shaking. For example, Terrifier 3 was created without a big studio’s backing, shot on a budget of $2 million, and in its opening weekend, grossed $18.5 million. As Halloween inches closer, it’ll only keep making money. My students are talking about it. The horror community won’t stop gabbing about it and debating it.

Yes, I understand these movies generate such buzz because of the gore and the truly brutal kills. Certainly, that’s part of their appeal, but there has to be something more there. I’m convinced each movie is bigger and more successful than the last because Leone has crafted two truly memorable characters in Art and Sienna. They just may be this generation’s slasher icons.