Terrifier 2 is currently in theaters and has grossed $5,185,578 so far, according to Box Office Mojo. The film is a testament to horror fans as they donated tons of money to the Indiegogo campaign. Fans gave more than $100,000, according to Bloody Disgusting, and the movie has been doing well at the box office.
With Art The Clown appearing in three horror films, it's time to decide: is he going to be the next beloved horror villain? All signs definitely point to yes given the fan response to this character and the fact that he's a creepy clown.
Art The Clown first appeared in the 2013 horror anthology movie All Hallows Eve, and he's immediately brutal. The villain kidnaps Casey (Kayla Lian) and gives her drugs so he can torture her easily. The character is seen next in the 2016 film Terrifier which begins with a TV news broadcast sharing the horrible news that Art The Clown has left the morgue and is actually alive. The killer clown continues his spree in Terrifier 2 and sets his sights on siblings Jonathan (Elliot Fullam) and Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera).
Horror movies need a new iconic slasher villain as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Ghostface have been around for a while. Art The Clown could definitely fill these shoes if more films in the franchise are made. Art The Clown works for two main reasons: because he taps into the relatable fear of clowns and because he comes out on Halloween.
Art is one of the smartest horror movie villains as he knows that many people want to run far in the other direction when they see someone in a costume with a painted on mask. Stephen King's IT movies, whether the two remakes or the '90s miniseries, do an incredible job of creating fear around Pennywise. While not everyone is legitimately scared of clowns and wouldn't want to even attend a kid's birthday party that includes one for entertainment, most can agree that clowns are at least a little bit creepy. Art is so evil, dangerous and violent that even just looking at him makes it clear that he's a killing machine.
All of Michael Myers's kills take place on Halloween night and the beloved slasher franchise is all about the sinister turn that this supposedly nice holiday can take. If Art killed on other nights, he would still look intensely scary, but there's something about him being out for blood on October 31st that makes him more memorable. Art is following in the footsteps of Michael Myers as both villains have no real reason to kill except simply wanting to. That makes them even worse. It's like when the killers knock on the door in The Strangers and say that they're doing this because the couple was home.
Art The Clown also works because he's not a silly horror movie villain. Instead, he's really horrifying and will kill people using any object that he finds. Art shoots someone with a gun or uses a saw, and he really doesn't care what weapons he has, as long as he can do what he wants. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to why he kills, which is chilling.
There are many horror movies that fans of Terrifier can watch, and Art The Clown remains one of the most unforgettable recent horror villains. It's worth noting that these movies are incredibly bloody and that not everyone might want to watch them. According to Buzzfeed, people threw up and even passed out while watching the sequel in theaters. Some audience members said that they had never seen something quite so gory and shared their thoughts about the experience of seeing this movie on social media.
However, if horror fans can get past the gore and don't mind it, it definitely seems like Art The Clown has some staying power as a villain. Given the fan response to Terrifier and Terrifier 2 and the Indiegogo campaign, it's impossible to argue with how popular Art is. This villain's appearance make him memorable, but his actions are also eerie, as he doesn't talk and also likes to make a big production out of committing murder. It's hard to argue with how many people can't stand even looking at clowns, which adds to the fear surrounding Art the Clown.
While there is the question of whether the slasher genre should be elevated, sometimes an old-fashioned gory slasher is just what horror fans are looking for. When in the mood for that type of story, Terrifier and Terrifier 2 will fit the bill, and Art the Clown just might become more well-known if the franchise continues. He definitely has the right look to become an enduring villain.