Terrifier (2016) - Warped And Disturbed

Don't go in there! You need to get out! Run as fast as you can and don't look back! These are the phrases synonymous with horror and yet not all the films we experience beg the warning to be vocalised. It's a trope of yesteryear and the greatest slasher flicks own it with confidence. Terrifier cherishes that value and fully understands the audience that's been secretly waiting for it in the shadows.

It's All Hallows Eve, and two girls are out on the town starting to wind down. When they encounter an unusual costumed individual, their night takes a turn into unknown territory, but not before sharing some revealing truths about who we, as the audience, are going to find more interesting because of their repulsiveness.

Shock value exists for a reason. It works even when it's overused. Sure, it loses its charm and sometimes even its effectiveness, but there's no denying that Terrifier has no qualms about going for the jugular. It's intentional with its approach and leaves little to the imagination. One such thing that's not hard to imagine is why most characters are paper thin. 

And that's because sometimes it's smart to keep certain characters two dimensional. Lending less to these unwitting and unwilling pawns, in the greater game of cat and mouse, can embellish the antithesis with the desired effect you expect from a slasher. So you may ask, why focus on a victim when the assailant is going to do all the heavy lifting? Because that's the best way to get the people watching to connect their own dots.

You really don't need a back-story with a plot like this. All you need to understand is there's a secret desire to want to act on our wildest impulses - and the aforementioned costumed individual, Art The Clown, is willing to be your guide to the most macabre corners of your mind if you'll let him. 

Art the Clown is one sick bastard. As maniacal as he can be there's an element to his existence we just can't as easily identify with like other villains in horror. And that aspect makes for one interesting nightmare fueled evening of intensity for both the characters in the film and the audience watching them.