Terrifier 3 is a large step up from the previous installment. This go-round, we actually have a plot, the screenplay is pretty solid, and every character is well-written and likable.
You know how the colors of Christmas are red and green? Well, Terrifier 3 says "Screw green, it's all about the red, baby"! Every single kill scene plays like the filmmakers asked themselves how they could one-up the bedroom slaughter from Terrifier 2. Oh yes, Terrifier 3 aggressively pushes the boundaries of good taste. This is easily the meanest, most brutal, bloodiest, and goriest Christmas horror film I've seen in a long time. There's also a decent amount of sacrilegious imagery. For me, every single kill after the opening scene floored me in both good and bad ways. I'm tempted to call Terrifier 3 transgressive, that's how intense this flick gets.
Lauren LaVera remains one of the great final girls of modern horror. She's actually better in this than she was in the previous outing.. LaVera has a lot to play with here, and she impresses. David Howard Thornton has always been iconic as Art, but this is easily his best turn as the character yet. He's still very scary and very funny.
Unfortunately, not all is shiny and bright with Terrifier 3. Yes, this flick does A LOT right...but it's still not without its flaws. First off: The way Terrifier 3 handles the Jonathan character might piss many fans off. Secondly: Those walking in hoping for answers to questions raised during Terrifier 2 are going to be disappointed. The Clown Cafe plays no role here except for two brief callbacks. There's also no explanation as to how The Terrifier is important in all of this. A tiny bit of lore is added, but it's not much. Terrifier 3 seems to be more focused on the film at hand than on setting up future pieces, which is a good thing (duh).
Likely my biggest complaint with Terrifier 3 is its ending. This flick feels bombastic and excessive with how many kills occur and with the manner in which each victim is killed. So it's a bit disappointing when it all leads to an ellipsis or a cliffhanger. I can also understand the kind of thinking that led Damien Leone and crew to leave the character of Sienna where they choose to leave her, but it still feels a bit edgelord. Dark and mean just for the sake of being dark and mean. The finale is appropriately brutal and savage, but surprisingly small scale. It’s effective and tense, but can’t quite match the setting of the Terrifier in Terrifier 2.
Horror films aren't supposed to appeal to mass audiences. They're supposed to shock you, scare you, piss you off. They're supposed to challenge you and make you uncomfortable, maybe even make you sick. Horror films push boundaries. Terrifier 3 understands this. There's a lot here that's going to anger or offend many, and that's a good thing. Terrifier 3 is easily the best of the Terrifier trilogy. It's also one of the greatest/best horror films of 2024. This one leaves a mark.
4.5 STARS