One of the latest horror hits of 2024 is the sequel Terrifier 3. Art the Clown is back at it again. Like the previous films, the movie once again relies on explicit scenes that should only be watched with a strong stomach. But there is a line that the director would never cross.
What is Terrifier 3? It is the third installment of the Terrifier series centered around the evil clown Art, who haunts his victims. This time, explicit violence is shown, and the third installment is again a film for adults. And even as an adult, you should be the type to enjoy such films.
Apparently, there are many fans of such films, as the movie is doing quite well financially, especially since it hasn’t been released in all countries (including Germany) yet. Looking at the numbers on Box Office Mojo, one can see that the film has already grossed over 40 million dollars on a budget of only 2 million dollars.
But even for the brutal clown, there are limits, as director Damien Leone revealed in an interview.
You can find a teaser for Part 3 here:
I would never do that
What limit is that? In an interview with Variety, Damien Leone, the director of the Terrifier films, spoke about the latest installment. He also touched on the topic of which limits he would never cross, as it seems in the films that no taboos are respected.
Leone explains that he is always looking to push boundaries. However, he mentions one boundary: children:
At the beginning of the film, there is a scene where Art murders a child off-screen, and you only hear it. I could have shown that and the glorious way we executed the scene. I would never do that, as it is utterly absurd to me and it alienates a large part of the audience.
Although he himself wants to push boundaries, he does not want to provoke any kind of extreme aversion. Showing such a scene would be, according to him, a desperate attempt to shock the audience.
Killing children in horror films is a big taboo. Very few (US) horror films show how children are brutally killed. This is a taboo that even icons like Michael Myers or Ghost Face largely adhere to. Most of the time, it is only implied.
When looking at slasher films, it is usually teenagers who are hunted and terrorized by the horror villains, but rarely children. One of the few that thematically tackles children is Chucky, but his films are obviously not as brutal as Terrifier 3. For film recommendations rated 18, you can find them here: 5 horror films rated 18 that are not for the faint of heart
