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Synopsis
Friends Tara (Jenna Kanell) and Dawn (Catherine Corcoran) are drunkenly walking the streets after leaving a Halloween party. Along the way, they stop at a pizzeria when they run into Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton). After leaving, the girls find that someone slashed Dawn’s tires, so Tara calls her sister Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi) for help. While waiting, Tara asks Mike (Matt McAllister), a pest control worker, if she can use the restroom quickly. Little do the girls know that Art the Clown is the tire slasher with something sinister in store. As Victoria makes her way to Tara’s location, she and Dawn are held captive by Art, who has deadly intentions. Unfortunately, Dawn dies a horrible death, but Tara manages to escape as Art gives chase throughout his lair. Will Victoria make it in time and save her sister, or will Tara end up just like Dawn?
Review
Terrifier is a pretty basic slasher film, and that’s what makes it so effective. While it doesn’t have the most original story or complex characters, it doesn’t need to. Much like Friday the 13th, it knows what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else. Damien Leone, who wrote, produced, directed, edited, and handled the special effects, made a throwback to 80s slashers and succeeded. Given that the budget was only $35,000, Leone and his team made something that looked better than many big-budget blockbusters. From the colorful lighting to the harsh shadows, it has a low-fi style that helps it stand out. I wonder if Leone took inspiration from Italian filmmakers like Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, along with American slashers. You can also tell by the effects that his inspirations include legendary effects artists like Tom Savini and Rick Baker.
Even though their characters aren’t deep, Jenna Kanell and Catherine Corcoran make solid, likable leads. Kanell’s dry, sarcastic delivery and Corcoran’s ditzy, floozy persona make for some great moments and memorable lines. Admittedly, Corcoran comes off as the ditzy blonde you know will die in a slasher, so her death isn’t unexpected. Without getting into spoilers, you almost expect Kanell to be the final girl, but she’s not, which made me sad. Of course, the real highlight is David Howard Thornton as the murderous Art the Clown, whose performance is excellent. While he has no lines, he does a great job expressing emotion through body language and simple pantomiming. He plays Art as someone who revels in hacking people to pieces, all with a morbidly humorous touch. It’s easy to see how Art the Clown has become a modern-day horror icon.
Of course, the film is primarily known for its over-the-top gore scenes, which are just as gruesome as advertised. Leone does a great job balancing the gore and suspense, making it more effective than if it was just gore. It reminds me of how Sam Raimi managed to blend moody suspense with over-the-top gore in The Evil Dead. Admittedly, the film isn’t perfect, but none of its flaws majorly affect its overall quality. For one, several characters are only there as cannon fodder, such as the exterminators and a strange cat lady. Also, the movie doesn’t do anything similar slashers haven’t already done, just with better effects and modern filmmaking. Still, at only 84 minutes, this slasher throwback gets in and out quickly and never overstays its welcome. Overall, Terrifier is a well-made, if basic, horror film that fans of 80s slashers will love.
Buy Terrifier from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Af1MIO.
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