Director Damien Leone made a bold decision when deciding to make a follow up his cult-hit Terrifier–he decided this time to give his film a plot!

Not that a franchise like Terrifier really needed one. I would even dare to say that a plot only works to the series’ detriment. (But like my defense of jump scares, I find myself the minority voice.) For me, part of the fun of the original Terrifier is its simplicity. The only function of the 2016 film’s story was to get a few extra character’s into Art’s meat grinder. In that film, Leone wasn’t all that concerned about telling us who or what Art is. In Terrifier, Art just is- now deal with it!

So, how does the Terrifier sequel fare by adding more story? Honestly, the result is a bit mixed. On one hand, Art gains a creepy new sidekick that somehow integrates surprisingly well into the franchise. There are also some fantastic well-woven nods to the original film. On the other hand, there is some silly subplot involving a sword and a really ill-advised, tension-killing prophecy. But more generally speaking, the shift gives Terrifier 2 much more of a Nightmare on Elm Street vibe than its predecessor and for now I’m alright with that. 

Terrifier 2 starts at the moment where Terrifier ended. We learn the fate of the unfortunate coroner who witnessed Art’s (David Howard Thorton) unnatural resurrection before being introduced to another evil clown, this time a young girl clown, who waves at Art in a laundromat. Why a laundromat? Because Art has to wash off all the blood on his clothes from the first movie.

I actually watched Terrifier 2 as part of a double-feature with the original and was really impressed by how seamlessly the second film resumes after the first one. Art even has part of his brain exposed due to his self-inflicted gunshot wound. There is even a hint of that demonic sound heard when the lights flickered. If you are a stickler for continuity, Leone seems to be going out of his way to keep you happy. 

Eventually, we are introduced to our new protagonists. Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan Shaw (Elliot Fullan) are two teen siblings preparing for their first Halloween after their father died of a brain tumor. Sienna has designed a costume that matches drawings her father made for her when she was young. Jonathan, oblivious to the insensitivity this has for the family of previous victims, wants to dress up as Art, the clown that infamously slaughtered a number of people in Miles County last Halloween. Needless to say, this causes some friction in the household.

Hold on! So Terrifier 2 actually has an element of social commentary. Well…yeah. But that’s about all your going to get.

In fact it doesn’t take Jonathan too long to have a change of heart about his costume after the real Art shows up one day at his school.

Oh yeah…and Sienna has been having some really, really freaky dreams about a Clown Café. (Can’t wait to see Leone explain all this in later franchise installments.) 

As for Art, he is pretty much that same awful clown we all fell in love with in Terrifier. Sure, he has a little more of a supernatural edge to him now, but anyone who saw All Hallows’ Eve knew that was coming. Since his earliest conception, it has always been implied that Art is some sort of devil spawn. Hell, even The 9th Circle, the horror short where Art’s first introduced, ends with a cameo from Satan. Not that I’m suggesting any part of that film is canon or even must-see viewing for Terrifier fans. (In fact, I’d wager that everything in All Hallows’ Eve- except maybe the eleven-minute Terrifier short from 2011- is something Leone would rather you forget.)

The original feature-length Terrifier was pretty unique in its use of inspired gore scenes at a time I consider to be the start of a post-extreme gore era which is trying to figure out how to subvert the obvious misogynistic underpinnings of the slasher genre. Leone pays homage to a genre that is increasingly becoming more self-aware of its most problematic aspects. And, quite frankly, I am okay with the fact that Leone isn’t choosing to subvert these aspects, as I am also alright with those who do, but I do feel it needs acknowledging since I think this feds into the film’s popularity.

So how much gore does Terrifier 2 offer? More. So much more. In fact, this film gives us one of the most sadistic, goriest kills in recent memory- then in pure Art style, Leone found a way to make it just a little bit worse. It is a murder of legendary proportions- the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards rightly awarded it as the Best Kill of 2022- and a large part of the reason why the franchise has such a notorious reputation.

But my actual favourite part of the movie comes earlier, when Sienna encounters Art in a costume store during the day. This is the equivalent of the classic diner scene introduction from the first film- but here the direction is at least as good, if not better. It’s a reminder that even though Leone may be an expert in gore, his most enduring talent as a director should be his ability to create truly memorable moments of tension.  

Look, I am generally pretty hard on sequels, and I don’t think Terrifier 2 is better than the original. For one thing, its ending is way too long. And…oh god…the sword and the prophecy.

But there is also a lot about Terrifier 2 still to like. For one thing, the nods to the first film are jaw-dropping. I already mentioned the intro, but just wait for the post-credits scene! Lauren LaVera is now destined for a career as a scream queen. What a find! Thornton continues to keep Art’s nonverbal menace wildly creepy and entertaining. And the low budget of $250,000 is particularly commendable considering the film earned 15 million at the box office without having the benefit of a substantial advertising campaign behind it. Leone is making these films on peanuts and still turning a sizable profit. This is a fan franchise fuelled by word-of-mouth momentum.

And is there a bigger slasher fan than Leone? His love for the genre shines through in every scene in Terrifier 2.

Terrifier 2 provides a template for how to create a successful horror franchise on a next to nothing budget without having to rely on found footage gimmicks. It also takes the slashers franchise formula from the 80s, but provides more modern cohesion to its world building. In fact, Leone claims he already has the next installments written…so yeah…eventually we all should be going to the Clown Café. Art seems to be building quite an interesting little family of monsters. I can’t wait.

As long as Leone can keep Art’s escapades from completely jumping the shark, this will be a horror franchise that is celebrated for decades to come. Bring on Terrifier 3. I betting it makes its way onto The Midnight Selections too.