Is Terrifier 2 actually scary or is it just remarkably hard to watch? It can be hard to differentiate between the two, as many horror movies walk the line and try to check both boxes. Writer-director Damien Leone heavily leans into the latter with the sequel to his 2016 film about Art, the homicidal clown who has an appetite for killing people in the most graphic ways imaginable. Whereas other films may get the viewer’s heart racing, Terrifier 2 is practically sure to churn their stomach.
That’s no exaggeration; the movie has picked up quite a lot of buzz as reports of some theatergoers passing out or vomiting while watching Terrifier 2 are making the rounds. This outcome is part of the appeal of the film since there’s a temptation to find out what all the fuss is about. Those who are faint of heart and give in to their curiosity will likely become part of this pattern of submitting to the wildly gruesome kills sprinkled throughout its lengthy two-and-a-half-hour runtime. For some, these nasty scenes are overwhelming, as one viewer described the sound of one viewer puking “hard and loud” in response to the movie.
Just saw Terrifier 2. It was an amazing gory mess. The guy behind me passed out cold n crashed into my chair, another guy left because he didn’t feel good, I overheard him say and walking out theatre door I heard a guy puking hard & loud in the bathroom. #Terrifier2 @damienleone
— TJ Barker (@realTJBarker) October 8, 2022
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It’s important to note that the first Terrifier featured plenty of nasty kills, too. In one unforgettable scene, Art hangs someone upside down, spreads their legs, and saw them in half. Determined to up the ante, the sequel’s intent is clear; these scenes are meant to push the limits even further. Art repeatedly pulls his victim’s organs out, whether it be yanking one’s brain out of their crushed skull or ripping another’s heart out of their chest. Each and every time, blood gushes all over the place.
Art literally rips some of his victims apart and snaps the bones of others. There’s a full-on decapitation that the camera captures in its entirety. Plenty of the kills are disturbingly gooey, with some characters getting practically eviscerated into bits. The scene where Art tortures one victim well beyond what should be the point of death and keeps playing with them for a sadistically extended period of time will likely stick with viewers long after the credits role. He also rips someone’s eyes out and flays another person who makes the fatal mistake of getting in his way. Time and again, the kills are executed with horrendous detail that’s somehow beautiful in its brilliance and passion. Make no mistake — the entire team deserves a lot of credit for carrying out Leone’s vision for Art’s unlimited brutality.
But evaluating Terrifier 2‘s “scare” factor is quite a different task. There are a few moments that will make the viewer’s heart skip a beat, but jump scares are few and far between. Instead, many of the kills are deliberately slow and drawn out, as they make the audience sit in the moment and soak in the gore. The real test in watching this movie is to do just that; it takes a stomach made of steel to endure some of the particularly imaginative kills. These are sure to make all but the most seasoned horror movie fans at least squirm in their seats, if not desperately want to run away and watch something much more pleasant instead. Terrifier 2 isn’t the kind of movie that will give viewers nightmares or prompt them to sleep with the lights on. Instead, it will test the limits of how many horrid, bloody kills they can take.
For that reason, reaching the end credits in one sitting could be considered some sort of accomplishment. Clearly, this movie is not a light romp to enjoy in the spirit of Halloween. Even Executive Producer Steven Barton shared an advisory on Twitter, noting that “who are faint of heart, prone to lightheadedness or have weak stomachs are advised to take extreme caution.” Barton went so far as to declare that this message was a warning. It’s up to prospective viewers to determine whether they want to take that gamble. There are plenty of other films that could scratch that itch, either in the horror genre or in the vein of a gorefest that doesn’t risk nausea, if not vomit.
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One of the most unique selling points of Terrifier 2 at this point may be that it’s fun to be in the know. Those who have seen it are well aware of why some viewers are getting sick or passing out, with a few requiring medical attention. That’s the level of risk involved with watching this movie. It’s certainly scary in the sense that it’s frightening to know that someone could even think of these horrible kills — props to Leone for his creativity, though — and how extreme its violence can be. Sitting through its executions is scary, but not in a traditional way. Those who are afraid of clowns can rest assured that David Howard Thornton’s masterful performance as Art is relentlessly creepy. Altogether, Terrifier 2 is a disturbing gauntlet of sickening kills that are brought to life by an impressive special effects team and carried out by a monster who could be a dark horse in the race to become the next great horror movie villain.
