Every Art The Clown movie, ranked (including Terrifier 3)

Art Clown is back! The sadistic slasher returns for more blood and guts in Terrifier 3, the latest installment in Damien Leone's gruesome horror series. Over the years, Art has become a pop culture icon, seeping into the mainstream through memes, gadgets, and other methods (he even has his own animatronic Halloween decoration Now). Even if you've never seen a single “Terrorizer” movie, you probably know who Art the Clown is, or at least can recognize him by sight. In “Terrifier 3”, Art once again kills a lot of people, all in the context of Christmas. As we approach the theatrical release of Terrifier 3 on October 11, 2024, you may be wondering how all of the Art the Clown films stack up as a whole. At least I hope so, because that's what this post is about. In the spirit of the season, I went further and ranked every Art the Clown movie from worst to best, including “Terrifier 3.”

Art the Clown debuted in Damien Leone's anthology film All Hallows' Eve released in 2013, but this was not his first appearance. Art debuted in the form of two short films directed by Leone: “The 9th Circle” from 2008 and “Terrifier” from 2011 (not to be confused with the feature-length “Terrifier”). Producer Jesse Baget saw the shorts on YouTube and asked Leone if he would like to be involved in creating them for a multi-director anthology. Leone said no – he would rather direct the whole thing himself. And that's exactly what happened. In “All Hallows' Eve,” Leone included two Art the Clown shorts and a new story about aliens attacking a house. The writer-director then added a whole story about a babysitter watching a VHS tape of all the cuts on Halloween. The end result is a mixed bag – a Very a cheap looking horror movie that has its charm but doesn't mean much. It's also worth noting that Art the Clown is played here by Mike Giannelli, although he does a fine job in the role, he's not as memorable as current Art the Clown actor David Howard Thornton.

Although “All Hallows' Eve” was Art the Clown's feature-length debut, it was the first film “The Terrorist” that really signaled his arrival and captured the attention of audiences. In this low-budget, brutal festival, Art stalks two young women on Halloween, with gruesome results. That first “Terrorizer” film was criticized as little more than a special set of FX effects strung together by the loosest of narratives, and guess what? This is not wrong! There is very little here in terms of plot. That said, Leone does a pretty good job of creating a “Halloween Night on the City” atmosphere, and even if you're not a gorehound fan, you have to admit that the practical effects are pretty darn impressive, especially on such a low budget. However, the best element of the first part is, of course, the debut of David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown. Thornton faced the difficult task of making the Play memorable without dialogue, and he did a wonderful job. A new horror star has been born.

The latest “Terrifier” movie may be the bloodiest movie ever made, but it's not quite the best (you can read our review here). A film made by sick people for sick people (free) “Terrifier 3” brings Art the Clown to a Christmas setting and has him once again face the final girl from “Terrifier 2”, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera). In “Terrifier 2,” writer-director Damien Leone tried to add some meat to those damn bones and start crafting a real story (more on that in a moment). With “Terrifier 3,” Leone continues his attempts to expand the franchise's lore, but honestly, it's a little disappointing. While I appreciate the effort, “Terrifier 3” feels pointless to me and is even a slight step back from the highs of “Terrifier 2.” Like the first “Terrifier” film, “Terrifier 3” meanders, clumsily moving from scene to scene before unleashing torrents of blood. Speaking of gore, if you're looking for something red from movies, Terrifier 3 delivers – it has the most gruesome kills in the entire series (the nasty shower and chainsaw scene has to be seen to be believed). Once again, David Howard Thornton is the real highlight as this film features his funniest performance yet, Art the Clown. It's clear that ultimately Art is just a guy who really loves his job (killing people). What's more, Leone has also grown significantly as a filmmaker – that's the best part look film in a franchise.

You have to give it to Damien Leone: he took the criticism of the first “Terrorizer” to heart and worked to improve “Terrorist 2”.. If the first “Terrorizer” is a movie with very little plot, “Terrorizer 2” is its complete the opposite – maybe too many history. Leone went crazy with this sequel, and the results are a huge improvement – and it's the best installment in the series yet. Taking a maximalist approach, Leone created a mega-slasher that runs over 2 hours, ramps up the gore, builds the plot, and introduces the finale's hot new girl, Lauren LaVera as Sienna Shaw. Art the Clown was a seemingly human killer disguised as a clown in the first “Terrorist” movie, but in “Terrorist 2” he rises from the dead with supernatural powers, adding a fun new dimension to the series. Uncompromisingly brutal and somewhat epic, “Terrifier 2” is proof that, for all its faults, this series can go to interesting places.