Ranking the Terrifier Horror Series: A Comprehensive Look at All Four Films

Creating iconic slasher characters isn’t as straightforward as it once was, given the decline in frequency of such films recently. Very few have managed to match the notoriety of legends like Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees, who are recognizable even to those unfamiliar with “Halloween” or “Friday the 13th.” In contemporary horror, the closest figure to achieve similar recognition is Art the Clown, portrayed by David Howard Thornton and Mike Giannelli.

Sporting a monochrome outfit, a sinister smile, and a small black hat, Art embodies a disturbing blend of chaos and mime, carving his victims with a visceral, almost comical intensity. If you find yourself ensnared by his gaze, consider yourself marked for demise. The collaborative performances of Giannelli and Thornton, alongside impressive makeup artistry, have elevated Damien Leone’s nightmarish vision from indie obscurity to a preeminent figure in the slasher genre. Art captivates audiences with his unique charm, reminiscent of a dark fusion between Bugs Bunny and Charlie Chaplin gone rogue.

Art’s chilling presence has dominated four films so far, including the anthology “All Hallows’ Eve” and the initial trio of “Terrifier” movies, with “Terrifier 4” slated for a 2027 release. As fans anticipate the clown’s next macabre escapades, let’s delve into a ranking of his current cinematic exploits.

Before David Howard Thornton’s portrayal, Art the Clown first emerged in Damien Leone’s 2008 short film “The 9th Circle,” with Mike Giannelli donning the character’s guise. This was followed by the 2011 short “Terrifier,” also featuring Giannelli. To bring these works to a broader audience, Leone compiled them into a direct-to-DVD anthology titled “All Hallows’ Eve.” While the anthology includes a less memorable segment about an alien home invasion, the narrative is anchored by a compelling wraparound story of two children and their babysitter watching a disturbing VHS tape, allowing Art to steal the spotlight.

• Cast: Katie Maguire, Catherine A. Callahan, Mike Giannelli
• Director: Damien Leone
• Rating: Unrated
• Runtime: 83 minutes
• Where to Watch: Shudder, Pluto TV, Tubi

Before David Howard Thornton stepped into the role, the first Art the Clown debuted way back in Damien Leone’s 2008 short “The 9th Circle,” followed by the 2011 short “Terrifier,” both times played by Mike Giannelli. In an effort to get the latter onto physical media, Leone included both within a direct-to-DVD anthology called “All Hallows’ Eve.” There’s a pretty forgettable middle segment about an alien home invasion, but the wraparound story involving two kids watching a disturbing VHS tape with their babysitter makes the film a showcase for Art. 

It’s the “Terrifier” short where Art truly takes center stage in an appropriately disgusting ode to grindhouse era slasher flicks. Unfortunately, Giannelli’s depiction leaves much to be desired, especially knowing how far the character has evolved since. His Art is an abrasively mean killer that lacks the knowing gallows humor that makes the slasher villain so much fun to watch down the line.

A lot of the character’s worst tendencies arise here too, notably with his calculated evisceration of women’s bodies (complete with misogynistic language) that’s mostly just unpleasant. “All Hallows’ Eve” deserves some credit for giving Art a platform to grow, even if the anthology feature itself isn’t very good. Everyone needs to start somewhere.

• Cast: David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Catherine Cochran
• Director: Damien Leone
• Rating: Unrated
• Runtime: 85 minutes
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Pluto TV, Tubi

It’s Halloween night and two friends, Tara (Jenna Kanell) and Dawn (Catherine Corcoran), are wandering the streets of Miles County, only to garner the unwanted attention of a killer named Art. Despite their efforts to get home safely, the sadistic mime gives them a night they’ll never forget. That’s about all there is to 2016’s “Terrifier,” a relentlessly disturbing and sleazy grindhouse throwback that, for better or worse, barrels through its threadbare story with sickening moments of violence. For all of the criticisms you can lobby against “Terrifier,” you can’t say that it doesn’t go there. 

As an effects showcase, it’s no wonder “Terrifier” took off. The gore is effectively brutal, with the most iconic kill being Dawn (i.e. one of the worst best friends in horror history) getting sawed down the middle while strung up naked upside down. The emphasis on shadows and creative lighting lends a foreboding atmosphere to the whole thing. Within moments of David Howard Thornton’s appearance, you can tell he was born to be Art. Here’s a slasher who doesn’t play by slasher conventions, such as pulling a gun from seemingly out of nowhere. However bold a narrative choice, it leaves “Terrifier” without a developed adversary for Art, which Leone himself has since expressed as a point of regret. 

• Cast: Laura LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi
• Director: Damien Leone
• Rating: Unrated
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Pluto TV, Tubi

Picking up from the disgusting mid-credits cliffhanger from “Terrifier 2,” the third film sees the iconic slasher being reborn by way of Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi). The pair hibernate in an abandoned house for five years until two demolition workers accidentally awaken them. At the same time, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is invited to stay with her remaining family following her release from a mental health facility. Her younger brother Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), meanwhile, is trying to have a normal college experience, but can’t shake the feeling that Art will return. 

It’s difficult to follow up that second film, but “Terrifier 3” takes some bold new swings with the biggest, grossest Art attack yet. David Howard Thornton has mastered Art’s mannerisms, while still being full of surprises. His reaction to seeing “Santa” through a window leads to one of the film’s biggest laughs. Meanwhile, Leone’s deranged gore FX get better with each installment, and “Terrifier 3” is no exception. 

It would have been easy to plant Sienna back in final girl mode, but it’s much more interesting to see her grapple with the emotional turmoil brought on by her first encounter with the clown. Where “Terrifier 3” stumbles is in its back-and-forth plotting that wants to expand the religious-adjacent mythology, while remaining true to the series’ gory roots. 

• Cast: Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Elliott Fullam
• Director: Damien Leone
• Rating: Unrated
• Runtime: 138 minutes
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Pluto TV, Tubi

With an epic runtime bordering on two and a half hours, “Terrifier 2” is one of the best slasher flicks of the 21st century. The maximalist horror sequel wisely picks up after the events of the first film, with Art the Clown’s supernatural self-resurrection from the dead. We jump ahead one year later where teenager Sienna Shaw starts having surreal nightmares about the clown’s reign of terror (the Clown Cafe sequence is the best “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie we’ve gotten in decades). It becomes even more terrifying when Art appears in person, tormenting her loved ones in the lead up to Halloween. 

The fact that a gnarly independent exploitation movie not only played in theaters, but was a box office success that had people losing their lunch is something to be celebrated. David Howard Thornton gives a masterclass horror performance, seamlessly switching from a mischievous little troublemaker to a demonic force of nature who revels in suffering, and then back again. He’s assisted by Damien Leone’s jaw-dropping gore effects that take full advantage of being unrated. The real standout, however, is LaVera’s Sienna, who proves herself as one of the best final girls in horror movie history. She’s a crucial component to the “Terrifier” sequels, providing Art with an adversary who gives him a taste of his own medicine.