The sequel to the gut-busting 2016 movie Terrifier goes a bit too far on just about every front, particularly the run time (138 mins!) and extended kill sequences that are brutal and overstay their welcome.

Even though I didn’t particularly love the first movie, I was looking forward to this one to see where it went and how it improved on the first outing. The production value was a little better, but at times still felt like a dude with a Handycam making his senior film school project.

There is definitely better character development in the form of Sienna, the high school girl who is trying to hold her family together after the recent death of her father. Once she becomes a target of Art the Clown, she must become the embodiment of her Valkyrie Halloween costume to vanquish the killer clown.

I also liked the little girl Terrifier clown, who seemed to be pretty important to the mental health of Art the Clown, but was not clear whether she existed or not. The surreal aspects made it a little more interesting.

As with the first film, it seems like a lot of the kill sequences are just showcasing the effects and not really for a purpose. I guess it kind of exposes the reality that most of these horror movies don’t really have any purpose, but I still like my horror with a little wit, a little cynicism, or even a tad of social commentary. I also don’t like kill scenes to go on for 30 minutes. That’s just torture.

I don’t know why, but I am looking forward to Terrifier 3.

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