One of the most terrifying clown films ever made is coming to small screens this Monday, October 31st. The question is, do you have the guts to watch?

Stephen King showed how frightening clowns could be in 1990 with the small screen adaptation of his bestseller IT. Until Pennywise, little was unnerving about the beloved circus performers with their widely painted grins and colorful costumes. But King invoked a new terror, inciting nightmarish allusions many didn’t know they had. Before Pennywise, in 1988, the Chiodo brothers released their comedic yet horrific depiction of clowns. Killer Klowns from Outer Space were ghastly otherworldly beings but no less frightening. And who could forget Captain Spaulding of Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses?

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But in 2016, writer-director Damien Leone took things one step further, showcasing to viewers an even darker side of clowndom. His creation was ice-cold, maniacal, and bloody horrifying. Leone elevated clown horror with his gory feature film Terrifier. With a masterful lens, a dark and sadistic angle, and a masochist speechless clown named Art, he ensured audiences would never see clowns in the same light again. Now, Art the Clown is back in Terrifier 2.

How It Started

     Dread Central Presents

The first Terrifier primarily zeroes in on one individual’s encounter with an unforgettable horror before it expands. Tara Heyes (Jenna Kanell) is the nucleus of this story. And what seems like a promising night of Halloween fun sets up the story. However, what starts as an ordinary night out for Tara Heyes and her friend Dawn ends as an unimaginable bloody night. In fact, it would be that night, wherein she would discover the meaning of genuine horror. After hours of a grueling and nightmarish ordeal, terror would forever wear the guise of a clown.

While attempting to stave off some extreme inebriation, Tara and Dawn find themselves the object of a most sinister figure’s designs. The harmless passing of a clown seems to be a weird highlight of the evening. But little do Tara and Dawn know that their chance encounter with “Art” at their hometown Pizza Palace would turn into a journey so macabre the darkest nightmares would pale in comparison.

As time passes, viewers come to understand this nightmare is void of purpose. Art is a fiend without direction. Unfortunately, poor Dawn and Tara will not be the only ones who fall prey to Art’s acts of morbidity. Unfortunately, for most poor souls who cross Art’s path, there is no coming back from such ill-fated luck.

Dawn and Tara are caught off guard by Art and his lusty appetite for profane desecration and human dissection. However, they aren’t the only ones to suffer shock. In fact, Art elicited some rather powerful responses from viewers as well. According to CBR, “Terrifier was an intense film that tested even the most seasoned horror fan with its level of violence.” It was certifiable. Terrifier was not a film for the weak-willed, especially those with a weak stomach, as the film was overloaded with violence.

However, Art, the clown, had made a mark despite critics who decried any success the film garnered, given the film’s lack of solid premise and extreme bloodiness. He was the newest slasher icon. Art was the epitome of evil incarnate and terror personified.

Fans Demanded More Art the Clown

     Cinedigm

Not everyone is a fan of devil-may-care violence and gore that is so vivid it stops the blood cold in the veins. However, while the Terrifier is not for everyone, it has a diehard fan base. And its fanbase was so fascinated with Leone’s creature creation that they rallied to ensure that Art would stay around to frighten audiences again. In fact, it was the fans of Terrifier who provided massive funding for the sequel. The fans raised over $200,000 on Indiegogo to see Art return to the big screen.

Terrifier 2 is what resulted. And the outcome was indescribable; the sequel resulted in an experiential outpouring earning it the title of one of the most gruesome films to exist. And given the extreme grotesqueness of the first installment, that is saying a lot. Various sources report that Terrifier 2 is so extraordinarily gory that filmgoers reacted viscerally, retching, vomiting, and passing out.

How Can You Watch Terrifier 1 and 2?

Terrifier 2 was released in theaters nationwide on October 6, 2022. However, thanks to Cinedigm and Bloody Disgusting, fans and newcomers to the franchise can watch the film from home on Screambox this coming Halloween. And if a stroll down memory lane or an introduction to the film franchise is warranted, Terrifier is streaming on Prime Video.

But, of course, viewers must proceed with caution if they dare to sit down with one of the most unrepentant in-your-face, horrifying tales of explicit torture. Because with one watch of Terrifier 2, your Halloween will never be the same.