‘Terrifier’ VOD Review
Stars: Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran, David Howard Thornton, Margaret Reed, Katie Maguire, Sylvia Ward, Gino Cafarelli, Michael Leavy, Samantha Scaffidi, Erick Zamora | Written and Directed by Damien Leone
Clowns always send alarm bells through us because there is something unnatural about them. The fake smile created by a mask that hides the true feelings underneath, it is disconcerting. Sure, they can be happy and make you laugh, but would they do the same in the middle of the night while trying to rip your head off? Terrifier poses this question in an old school gory bluntness that bashes you in just the right spots.
When Tara (Jenna Kanell) and Dawn (Catherine Corcoran) find themselves stalked by a creepy clown (David Howard Thornton) the last thing they need is for their car to break down. Finding her way into a building in need of the toilet, Tara soon finds herself once again stalked by the clown looking to kill her and anybody who stands in his way.
We’ve seen many movie clowns, but Art the Clown is one that is going to stay in your mind for a while. With so many iconic movie monsters such as Freddy Kreuger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers, there isn’t much room for many more, but Art may just have made his mark.
What makes the clown creepy is the body language that he uses. Devoid of any noises, not even a screen when hurt, Art is like a character out of a silent movie brought into the “talkies”. A true grotesque, his moves are deliberate but graceful around the screen, and no movement is wasted. Even a smile is enough to make the audience feel creeped out.
Another aspect of the horror on show in Terrifier is the old school style of the gore. There is plenty of blood on show, dismemberments and even a killing straight out of the book of Ed Gein, and it will test your stomach. With the practical effects, there is a feel of realism that makes this feel like an eighties horror, and the subdued use of colours manage to further escalates this feel.
For fans of serial killer references there are more influences from Ed Gein in some of the scenes, one of the creepiest again highlights the body language that David Howard Thornton puts into Art the Clown. While not wanting to spoil the scene, it is impressive how the change in costume for Art leads to a different style of movement which is designed to make the audience feel even more uneasy.
Director and writer of Terrifier Damien Leone has done a good job in understanding just what makes horror effective. The audience has to be taken out of their comfort zone and pushed into an unreal world that still feels strangely recognisable. Terrifier does this and presents us with a man dressed as a clown who has no other motive than to just kill people and have fun doing it.
Fans of old school no-holds barred horror should make sure they see Terrifier, it is well worth their time. With a healthy dose of gore and plenty of creepy scenes, this is a film that really gives fans the horror fix they’ve needed for a long time.
****½ 4.5/5
Terrifier releases in the US on VOD March 27th, and in the UK March 30th, with a DVD release April 9th.
This movie easily illustrates what is missing from Horror these days by giving you it all wrapped up tightly in a blood drenched bow. I didn’t think they would be able to out do All Hallows Eve, but they did and then some. If you are a horror fan that is tired of sanitized, wet nap blotted l, big budget studio horror that comes in a can, check this film out. Easily the best horror flick I have seen in years.