On October 10, simultaneously with the rest of the world, a new chapter of the slasher franchise 'Terrifier' will be released in domestic theaters. About what shocks, pleasantly surprises, and disappoints in the film—in our review.

Christmas Eve. The demonic clown-maniac Art (David Howard Thornton) together with his girlfriend (Samatha Scaffidi) terrorize the residents of Miles County. At the same time, Sienna (Lauren LaVera), the cosplayer from the second part of the series who had the misfortune of encountering the sadistic mime last Halloween, is discharged from a rehabilitation center. She, according to doctors' orders, continues to take pills, but this does not save her from an all-encompassing, almost permanent feeling of anxiety and the hallucinations it causes. Sienna and Art are destined to clash again in battle.

Slashers come in different varieties. Some experiment with form, like the recent 'The Unholy', some with content, ironizing over common genre clichés (the 'Scream' franchise), and some simply shoot the most formulaic drudgery without a hint of deconstruction or revision, as Renny Harlin did in the remake of 'The Strangers'. On one hand, the third installment of 'Terrifier' is a classic slasher, or more accurately, a splatter film, because the emphasis shifts from the maniac's pursuit of the victim to the demonstration of the latter's elaborate execution. It contains absolutely no social commentary, and the rampaging Art is not a metaphor for any societal problem.

But on the other hand, the film sometimes surprises. And I'm not talking about the unprecedented level of on-screen violence even within the genre. Franchise creator Damien Leone is an avid cinephile, and it shows. It's not so much about the multitude of parodies and references (from 'The Shining' and 'It' to intra-franchise callbacks), but about the violation of unspoken rules and conventions that exist in such films. Leone mocks tired plots and character archetypes. He particularly excels in this in the third part, not allowing the story to become predictable for the viewer for any extended period.

The unpredictability of Art's actions, like a true maniac, is truly striking. He stoops to nothing—not even the murder of children or terrorist methods—which distinguishes him from other costumed killers who carve up the target audience of their films: stoned college students.

'Terrifier 3' is the kind of film from which people will definitely walk out. Moreover, it's possible that after just the first few minutes, because the violence here is so unprecedented and naturalistic that all the cult predecessors of the film seem overly tame. However, in my opinion, despite the, if you will, commendable provocativeness, the new film has a clear excess of on-screen violence. While some scenes (for example, the gathering in a bar with Santa Claus) seem inventive and even (scary to say!) funny, others represent pure sadism, maximally naturalistic and sparing the viewer not at all. And the ending is something completely beyond good and evil!

The film offers a true shock attraction that can rightfully be placed alongside cult classics like 'Cannibal Holocaust' or 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes'. Liters of fake blood, quality makeup, and good practical effects do their job. 'Terrifier 3', despite a noticeably increased budget compared to the original ($2 million versus $35 thousand), still has extremely modest production costs. Yet everything is shot luxuriously, no worse than last year's 'Thanksgiving' by Eli Roth or the aforementioned 'The Strangers' by Harlin, whose budgets are 8 and 4 times larger, respectively.

True, in the examples above, although not A-list actors, they are certainly not the last people in the industry. 'Terrifier 3' does not change the series' traditions: among the more or less well-known, only wrestler Chris Jericho appears in a supporting role.

The main star of the film is, of course, David Howard Thornton, who plays Art. He is still as good when his character fools around like a child, performs pantomime, or makes faces. By the way, Art is gradually improving. Previous films were often accused of sexism, claiming that the infernal clown simply kills men, but first brutally tortures women. So, Damien Leone listened to the criticism: now Art equally elaborately torments everyone, although he still prefers girls.

As for the main character, it can be safely stated: Lauren LaVera has become an excellent 'scream queen.' The actress, who once started as a double for Anya-Taylor Joy, has a great future, and let's hope not only in her usual role.

The weakest side of the film is its narrative, in the fragmentation and inconsistency of which the priorities set by the creators are visible. It is absolutely obvious that neither Damien Leone nor anyone else involved in the film is the least bit interested in the development of the story itself, unlike the gory and out-of-context scenes with Art. If not for the regular shock content, the third 'Terrifier' would have lost momentum within thirty minutes.

From this, in turn, two more problems arise. First, in the format of an anthology or short films, as it was originally, Art lived much better, since he is not good at reluctantly dragging the overall plot of the series on his back. And I have reason to believe that it will only get worse from here. Second, the third installment still found room for an interesting thesis about the ethics of exploiting human destinies in true crime and the mental insanity of some of its fans, but it did not go beyond stating it.

Damien Leone's 'Terrifier 3' is a completely unhinged film that surpasses its competitors in every way. Whether its existence delights you or horrifies you (like the author of this text), it is definitely the most insane and shameless horror film of recent years. One can debate at length about issues of ethics, ragged storytelling, or wasted intellectual potential, but arguing with this fact is pointless.

It is surprising that the new chapter of 'Terrifier' was decided to be released in early October (not even for Halloween), although it would have been more reasonable to do so in December before Catholic Christmas, given that the festive atmosphere is one of its main features.

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