Becoming a horror icon is not something easy to accomplish. It needs to become a part of pop culture. One does not need to watch a single scary movie to know who Dracula, Chucky, or Michael Myers is. Their faces have been imprinted due to iconic imagery and dedicated fanbases. While there have been plenty of excellent horror movies over the last few years, Jigsaw was probably one of the only icons born recently. Then came Terrifier’s Art the Clown. Terrifier was released in 2018 on home video without Hollywood marketing or even a wide theatrical release. It didn’t even get the greatest reviews, yet Art the Clown became a familiar face, and the world was introduced to the vilest killer clown to ever grace the screen.

The immediate response on social media helped familiarize Art even if one never heard of Terrifier or even seen where he started in All Hallows’ Eve. Thanks largely to Stephen King, clowns have more of a phobia than a piece of children’s entertainment. Art looks and walks like a clown, but even without a weapon or blood-splattered makeup, his smile alone gives a hint of pure evil.

After an Indiegogo campaign and a few years’ wait, fans are finally getting a sequel, and they are hungry for more blood. The pressure was on as the initial film featured one of the most gruesome and perverse kill scenes ever filmed. How would a sequel top that? The answer here is that TERRIFIER 2 pushes the boundaries of what is allowed to be considered entertainment and makes us watch almost two and a half hours full of bodies piling up.

Art is resurrected via an otherworldly entity that doesn’t seem fully developed, but the ambiguity is successful here. He wakes up, still suffering from the first film’s wounds. While the events and characters are referenced from the first film, the sequel focuses on a new duo. This brother/sister team, played by Lauren LaVera and Elliott Fullam, feels fresh and the chemistry shines through. Fullman is obsessed with Art and dresses like him for Halloween. LaVera dresses up like one of her dead father’s superhero creations. These two end up being new targets for Art and the onslaught of whippings and slashing commence

Writer/director Damien Leone succeeds this time around in regard to character development. He gives someone to root for and LaVera is destined to become an automatic con mainstay as she steals the show from Art throughout. Family dynamics are explored as well as slight glimpses of Art’s beginnings. While this was slasher fare, TERRIFIER 2 introduces supernatural aspects and moments of literal magic that somehow we just accept in this universe.

The first film gained popularity for having a memorable new slasher icon and horrific kill sequences. That felt like child’s play compared to the sequel. TERRIFIER 2 takes its roots and stabs them straight into your eyes. The body count is higher and the absurdity of some kills is embraced with some gorgeous practical special effects. Fans of the first will find TERRIFIER 2 well worth the wait and delivers fan service to those who love the extreme.

TERRIFIER 2 will be in theaters on October 6, 2022, from Cinedigm in partnership with Iconic Events.