WhileTerrifier 3’s arrival could have seen theTerrifierfranchise’s unique appeal rejected by mainstream reviewers, early reactions to the sequel prove that it might instead pull off an incredible feat. The history of theTerrifierfranchise is an unlikely one. Director Damian Leone’s grimy, unrepentantly nasty low-budgetTerrifierwas an indie hit upon its 2016 release. Despite its obvious limitations,Terrifier’s shocking gore and David Howard Thornton’s mesmerizing, appropriately terrifying turn asthe franchise’s villain Art the Clownmade the original movie a cult hit. 2022’sTerrifier 2took this success to unprecedented heights with an extraordinary box office run.
I’m So Happy To See Lauren LaVera’s Sienna Back In Terrifier 3
Art the Clown is returning to ruin Christmas in Terrifier 3, and I’m happy the sequel is avoiding a classic final girl trope by bringing back Sienna.
Terrifier 2made over $15 million upon release on a budget of only $250,000. In a surprising turn of events, the brutal slasher sequel also improved the franchise’s critical standing. Where the divisiveTerrifierearned an average rating of 57% from critics onRottenTomatoes,Terrifier 2easily beat this with an extraordinary 86% rating. This impressive feat means that2024’s upcoming sequelTerrifier 3arrives burdened with serious expectations. Leone’s upcoming horror movie has been hyped as the scariest movie of 2024 and a gory extravaganza that outdoes both earlier slashers in the series.
Terrifier 3’s Early Reviews Are Even Better Than Terrifier 2’s Reception
Director Damian Leone’s Long-Awaited Sequel Lives Up To The Hype
All of this hype seems destined to lead to an inevitable critical disappointment forTerrifier 3. After all, the stomach-churning violence of the series is not for everyone and many mainstream critics have historically displayed a knee-jerk aversion to unabashedly gruesome, pointedly provocative gorefests. However,Terrifier 3’s early reaction proves the slasher sequel might be able to beat the odds and become a critical hit, reversing a traditional genre trend in the process. Typically, slasher franchises tend to lose, rather than gain, critical acclaim as they continue.Surprisingly,Terrifier 3’s Fantastic Fest premiere paints a very different picture.
TheTerrifiermovies may become a rare slasher series that gets better as it progresses, judging by the sequel’s first reviews. TheAVClubcalledTerrifier 3Art the Clown’s “Best outing yet,” whileSlashFilmcommended the slasher sequel for accomplishing its “Dark mission” while displaying “Skill that is undeniable.”DreadCentralcalledTerrifier 3the “Ultimate thrill ride,” whileGizmodonoted that it was “Hard not to respect” the ambition of the ghastly, gruesome horror. As a sampling ofTerrifier 3’s first reactions, this is about as unambiguously positive a reception as the infamously controversial series could hope for.
Terrifier May Become The Rare Slasher Franchise To Get Better With Each Movie
Most Of The Horror Sub-Genre’s Famous Franchises Decline With Age
AlthoughTerrifier 2’sRottenTomatoessuccesswas already impressive,Terrifier 3’s reception means the series could become a rare slasher franchise that improves with each new outing. The sub-genre’s four most famous franchises,A Nightmare On Elm Street,Halloween,Scream, andFriday the 13th, all faced a more predictable pattern when it came to their critical reception. All of these series included at least one sequel that was unexpectedly well received, whether it wasNew Nightmare,Halloween 2018,Scream 2022, orFriday the 13th VI: Jason Lives!. However, as a rule, each franchise’s reviews declined as they continued.
Terrifier 3takes the improvements thatTerrifier 2added to the franchise formula and uses these to make the Christmas horror movie Art the Clown’s most engaging killing spree yet.
Few slasher franchises reach the heights of their first installments, let alone outdo them. However, it seems as ifTerrifier 3is poised to do exactly that. According to its earliest reviews,2024’s scariest movie,Terrifier 3, takes the improvements thatTerrifier 2added to the franchise formula and uses these to make the Christmas horror movie Art the Clown’s most engaging killing spree yet. Critics noted that Lauren LaVera’s returning Final Girl Sienna feels more rounded and relatable this time around, while the pacing has improved sinceTerrifier 2’s unnecessarily lengthy runtime.
Terrifier 3’s Biggest Critical Test Is Yet To Come
Terrifier 3 Might Struggle With More Mainstream Critics Upon Release
Although early reviews from outlets likeThe AVClubare unexpectedly stellar,Terrifier 3’s biggest test will be reviews from mainstream critics. WhileTerrifier 2was an unlikely box office smash, the sequel was mostly reviewed by horror-centric outlets likeBloodyDisgustingandDreadCentral.The New York Times, The AVClub,RogerEbert.com,RollingStone, andThe LA Timesall ignored the sequel outright, covering only its unlikely box office success and never officially reviewingTerrifier 2.Terrifier 3’s wide release will change that, andTerrifier 2’s only major mainstream reviews prove its reception could go one of two ways.
Terrifier 3will be released on August 19, 2025.
In a thoughtful but ultimately negative write-up forVariety, critic Owen Gleiberman questioned whyTerrifier 2existed and stopped well short of recommending the movie. In a less ponderousGuardianreview, Sammy Gecsoyler dubbed the sequel “Absurd fun rather than completely cruel.” Mainstream outlets may followThe Guardian’s approach and write offTerrifier 3’s gore as a bracing acquired taste, albeit one with artistic merit, or the sequel’s major reviews may refuse to recommend the sequel based on its shameless disregard for good taste. This will ultimately decideTerrifier 3’s critical standing and, by extension, theTerrifierfranchise’s overall reception.
