Terrifier

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Terrifier was a movie I found on Netflix a while back. The main reason I didn't review it right away was so I could save the review for October, when I'm more inclined to review a lot of horror movies. This could easily be described as your typical slasher flick. The biggest thing I can probably say about this movie is that I wish it did more to stand out. Yes, the kills are really gruesome, one of the few things about Terrifier that really does stand out. For the most part, I was on board with them. However, one of the kills did go a little too far, even for the taste of someone who admits to enjoying Hatchet. I am going to spoil this kill because this could be a good way for you to know whether or not you are truly on board with this movie. There's a girl that the main villain, Art the Clown, strings up by her feet naked. He then proceeds to saw her in half. It's really the only moment where I was legitimately uncomfortable simply because it felt like the movie was relishing in being cruel, and trying to use gore for the sake of gore. That said, Art the Clown himself (played David Howard Thornton) is easily the best part of the movie. A lot of the acting in this flick is bad, which is common for a slasher flick. Thornton makes a memorable and menacing performance out of never once saying a word. It's good that the actor does such a good job because the writing for the character feels hit and miss. Sometimes, the character's unpredictability and insanity works and makes you legitimately unsure of how the character should (and will) react. Other times, it felt like the filmmakers watched other horror movies and tried applying them to the movie without really trying to figure out if it will work in context. It can come off as trying too hard. The most egregious example is an unfortunate rip-off of The Silence of the Lambs. The writing also kind of works because you know next to nothing about Art, and it's legitimately a good use of the "less is more" tactic. The characters are all pretty one-dimensional. They don't really have much of anything to them. Because of this, when the movie attempts a main character bait and switch, it really doesn't work. Part of the problem is that it does it a bit too late in my opinion. The shock is there, yes. However, there isn't much left of the movie, and the person the filmmakers switch over to being the main character never felt truly established as a legitimate character. The budget is noticeably low. Sometimes, this works in the movie's favor. Sometimes, it doesn't. Terrifier was one of those movies I was fine with watching, but don't see myself wanting or needing to seek it out again. 

4 / 10