31 by 31 Challenge #5: TERRIFIER (2018)

In his 2011 short film "Terrifier" writer/director Damien Leone introduced audiences to the maniacal Art the Clown, who would go on to feature prominently in Leone's feature film All Hallows' Eve (2013). Still, horror hounds couldn't get enough of the murderous clown, and so Leone decided to up the ante and give the people what they want with a full-length film centered entirely on Art. It's a doozy, and secures Art a spot in that hallowed pantheon of horror icons that will continue to terrify viewers for years to come.

Terrifier
Released: March 15, 2018
Director: Damien Leone
Screenplay: Damien Leone

Cast:
Jenna Kannell as Tara
Samantha Scaffidi as Vicky
Catherine Corcoran as Dawn
Matt McAllister as Mike
Pooya Mohseni as Cat Lady
David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown


On Halloween night, best friends Tara and Dawn are stumbling home after a night of festive debauchery when they catch sight of a man in a creepy clown costume who soon fixes his attention on them. When they discover that Dawn's car has a flat and have to wait for Tara's sister, Vicky, to come to pick them up, Tara worries that their troubles with the clown have only just begun. And she's right.

It's a thin story with an easy set-up, but Leone makes it work. Most of the action takes place in an old office building that's being exterminated for rats; it's a creepy, winding maze of decaying rubble, stained concrete, and dusty storage. This makes the film itself feel unclean, as though we're watching an awful, dingy home video we were never meant to get our hands on. And what an amazing feeling to have while viewing a horror film. It conjures a very 80's grindhouse vibe, which is exactly what Leone is going for, especially with the gratuitous gore. Terrifier is a gross, visceral movie that works the violence to its advantage. One kill, in particular, is so daring and unpleasant that while you'll moan at knowing you can never un-see it, you'll applaud the production team for pushing boundaries. 

And as with all the great 80's hackfests, you'll be shouting at the screen at the stupidity of one of the main characters. Tara starts off as level-headed and intelligent, and has flashes of common sense throughout, but consistently dips into the pool of stupidity at the worst possible times. She severely injures the killer three times in the course of her nightmare and never once takes the opportunity to properly finish him off. It's maddening! But it's also in keeping with the tone of the film, and in showcasing the real star, Art the Clown, played by David Howard Thornton, who is absolutely incredible. Since Art never speaks, it's all down to body language and mannerism, and Thornton is perfectly in sync with himself and the character, bringing to life one of the most horrifying characters in contemporary horror cinema and possibly the scariest clown in the genre (sorry, Pennywise). 

Now, the ending is a bit predictable, but again, the goal of this film isn't really about presenting a monumentally original story so much as it is giving Art the chance to shine in a feature-length runtime. And shine he does. It will be interesting to see how and if he figures in the purported All Hallows' Eve sequel, but I can't imagine he'll be excluded completely. He's made far too much of an impact amongst horror fans, so I anticipate that there will be many more films in the future where bevies of innocent stock characters are flung in Art's path. And I'm sure he'll continue to have the last laugh as well.


Terrifier
5 - Totally Terrifying
4 - Crazy Creepy
3 - Fairly Frightening
2 - Slightly Scary
1 - Hardly Horror