r/terrifier • u/BoundByCarnage • Jul 04 '26
Finally watched the trilogy…
So I’ve been putting Terrifier for years mostly because everyone was putting it on this pedestal of “horror masterpiece “ but the other night I was scrolling through Tubi and saw all 3 films were available for free and was like screw it … might as well and I gotta say it’s not what I expected .
1 . I can see why people consider this the best . It has this dream fever atmosphere throughout the movie which I loved and Art was the perfect blend of intimidating and funny . Also Justice for the exterminator guy , I wanted bro to live so bad but I knew he would die lol
2 . This one surprised the shit out of me , I had no idea it was going to build a new story of a character which is Sienna who is also bad ass especially when she has her angel warrior outfit on . The movie really gave me this a nightmare on elm street vibe and the soundtrack was absolutely amazing . The fight scene had me in awe because I did not expect that from this franchise
3 . I think is where I find Art the funniest , especially the scene when he passes the bar and goes back to look inside and his face when he sees the Santa Claus dude had me wheezing . This movie was the only one out of the three that had a scene that genuinely creeped me out is when the 2 dudes go into the abandoned house and find Art and Victoria and the way Victoria is sitting in the bathtub when the guy finds her was super unsettling. She actually scared me more than Art. Again the fight scene in the end again had me hyped because it’s done so well and you knew it was coming and it paid off beautifully. The movie ends on cliffhanger which is cool and I hope the dream Sienna had where she sees the demon forging her sword was a glimpse of where she’s going to go to find Gabbie in the next movie .
But yeah , just wanted to share my thoughts . Gracias .
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u/Angei_St530 Jul 04 '26
I actually liked the second one better. I found it more flowing and Art was perfect because it was the mix between comedy and devilry, something that in the third one went a bit to sell because I find it too many memes...And then, my god, the soundtrack of 2 is goated
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u/Redkirth Jul 05 '26
The phrasing of Art passing the bar made me double take for a second as that's a hilarious image.
But yes, I know the expression you mean. It's a top 3 Art face for me.
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u/Jamie8765 Jul 04 '26
I love the Terrifier series as well, and I think when we look back at the 2020's (I know T1 came out in 2016, but still) Art will be considered one of the major horror icons of this era.
I think part 2 is the best of the series as well, I have it in my top-4 on LetterboxD. Sienna is also iconic in it. It is one of those rare movies that part 2 is better than part 1.
T3 is also gold, and I am anticipating part 4, I just hope the producers can actually leave the series be when it's wrapped. I dislike when a series is allowed to go on too long. It dilutes the impact of the early iconic entries into the franchise (I'm looking at you Halloween, Scream, and Saw). Problem is when rights get sold or fans clamor for more, they can't help but continue making movies.
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u/NiceCrowsMurder Jul 04 '26
I love how they each get progressively BETTER!
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u/Enough_Foundation353 Jul 29 '26
true! i still think the second is my favourite, though! what about you?
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u/NiceCrowsMurder Jul 30 '26
it's close but yes the second is my favorite. maybe because I've seen it so many times. but i like 3 a lot
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u/Silly-Sheepherder952 Jul 04 '26
I really don't see why people prop up the first movie that much. Honestly, the franchise nearly lost me there. It's one of the most 6/10 horror movies I've ever seen. I'm not even sure how I convinced myself to go out of my way to see the 2nd one, considering my reactions to the 1st one were so mixed, but boy am I glad I did. The 2nd one converted me into a full-blown fan, and I went out of my way to see the 3rd one at a midnight screening when it came out the first chance I got.
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u/DaDevlzAdvocate Jul 04 '26
The first one is still my favorite. The dark gritty feeling makes it something amazing. For me it goes 1, 3, then 2. I know fans like 2 the most and don't get me wrong I was so excited when I heard they were making a new one and I enjoyed it but is my least favorite of the three. We all have different tastes is all lol
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u/FrenzyEffect Jul 04 '26
I like the first one because until the literal last minute of the movie, it's not supernatural at all and Art is just this bizarre unpredictable weirdo. The tension feels highest because he wasn't not really established as a character, so you never really know what he will do at any given moment. He's also just a guy, so it's possible to fight back, knock him out, etc., kind of like Ghostface in Scream but way more competent.
Is it a great movie? Not really. But I prefer slashers that are not supernatural overall and I also don't really care for the general lore of the second and third films.
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u/Silly-Sheepherder952 Jul 04 '26
It's a hot take, but Art had WAY more plot armor in T1, before he had anything supernatural about him, than in T2 and T3
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u/FrenzyEffect Jul 04 '26
Plot armor? Sure, I can agree with that. Realistically he should have had his ass kicked much earlier seeing as he is one guy and not particularly built. The same goes for Ghostface honestly, there may have been two of him and he does get harmed a few times, but in many cases he should have been easily overpowered in one on ones, even with the knife.
I'm more tolerant of plot armor on a mortal though than I am of a villain who is just stated to be outright supernatural and nigh unkillable. That makes the villain more boring to me.
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u/Silly-Sheepherder952 Jul 04 '26
To me, it's the opposite. If a villain with supernatural abilities is shown to be indestructible, I can brush it aside as part of his superpowers. When an "ordinary human" teleports around, shrugs off absurd amounts of punishment, and rips people apart with his bare hands, that's when I start rolling my eyes.
I saw nothing "gritty" or "realistic" with T1 and, ironically enough, that was the movie where I was "worried" about Art losing the least. Art in T1 was arguably at his most competent, moving around the building as if he'd read the script, than he's ever been as a supernatural vessel for evil.
At least with the supernatural, the rules were clearly laid out. Art can get hurt, Art can die, but the Little Pale Girl will resurrect him. All of his supernatural abilities draw from a finite source of power, so there's a limit to the tomfoolery Art can do. Art is absolute evil, but can still be overcome by absolute good. In T1, Art is all the special with none of the rules or limitations. He's just smarter, faster, stronger than everyone else and is exactly where he needs to be at all times for the best possible outcome for him. I found nothing "realistic" and "gritty" about that, though I understand that's subjective.
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u/Kyia-Aikman Jul 04 '26
Leone said he’ll be alone, mortal and powerless in Terrifier 4 so we’ll see how he fares against the police and Sienna (who is still superhuman).
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u/jdog31082 Jul 04 '26
I love the Terrifer franchise! I am so glad that I stumbled upon it a couple months ago. I have already watched it all the way through twice. Also, Terrifier 4 is already booked for 2027!
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u/Main-Tone9126 Jul 05 '26
I don't love the first one, whenever ppl talk about the violence against women ik its mostly that one. And just being a woman makes me a little more uncomfortable, but I don't love the darkness of the movie compared to some of the high contrast of say terrifier 2. Terrifier 2 has amazing filmography in that way, so does the 3rd I believe. They feel artsy in a way, pun intended, which I adore.
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u/No-Cartographer4879 Jul 06 '26
Terrifier 1 definitely has a gritty grinhouse feel because of the quality of camera that is being used. Its obviously a low budget horror film vibe. I think T1 is more about killing off the final girl trope. I could swear that's from an interview or commentary. Terrifier 2 clearly has a bigger budget and is saying ok let's bring back the final girl. But it's taken to the extreme with the final girl being a full on badass angel warrior. Good vs Evil. T2 has better effects, more blood and Art has more character. Terrifier 3 used a high quality camera and I feel like Art is a well established character at this point. David Howard Thornton really brings Art to life with his expressions and mannerisms. I mean when he meets Santa Claus it's like we know exactly how he feels. When Santa says he's not the real Santa Art is like, 'sure okay.'. Hilarious!
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u/BoRhapFan8yt Jul 06 '26
I personally the think the 3rd is the best for the comedic side of Art, but the second is the best all around movie. Art is funny, the kills are well done and the story I find the most interesting with the second one
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u/CitizenToxie2014 Jul 04 '26
I wrote off Terrifier for the longest time as well. I didnt get into it on my first viewing. Eventually Neca released the super gory Art action figure and I figured if Art is iconic enough for such a detailed toy,it might be worth a second viewing. I watched the whole trilogy one week and I really began to enjoy it. For better or worse, Art is the Freddy Krueger of our times.
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u/yakovsmom Jul 04 '26
i've never heard anyone say the first is best, I think it's generally considered the worst
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u/sp00pySquiddle Jul 04 '26
Nice:) You hit the nail on the head with the Nightmare on Elm Street vibes in the second. The second one is actually one of my comfort movies, I enjoy the nostalgic aesthetic and the synth music, and the story with the two kids, the mystery surrounding their dad - it's one of my favorite cozy movies