Terrifier: Art The Clown's 5 Grossest Superpowers
Even in the slasher subgenre, where extravagant murders and horrifying fates are par for the course, the "Terrifier" movies stand out from the pack. This is because of the franchise's antagonist, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), a sadistic evil clown who may be the most vile and horrific serial killer in the history of the genre.
It's this extreme level of brutality that most fans will think of when it comes down to the first film and its sequel, "Terrifier 2," in which Art the Clown gets up to even more depraved acts of violence. Still, as far as slasher villains go, they are often defined by their backstory and their motivation for killing. This is where the sinister antagonist of the franchise becomes even more compelling.
We don't know anything about Art the Clown's origins, really. While he initially seems to be just a regular serial killer who dresses up for Halloween to murder indiscriminately, the end of the first "Terrifier" suggests that there is more to him than meets the eye. So, what powers does this demonic figure have, and how might we see them further explored as the franchise continues?
Art clearly has a supernatural level of strength
Throughout the "Terrifier" franchise, Art the Clown displays seemingly unnatural strength. Despite his thin, lanky build, he can carry a bag full of endless murder tools, and he shows no effort or exhaustion, even when carrying it for long distances.
Still, other scenes demonstrate this strength with even greater brutality. In "Terrifier 2," during easily the most horrific kill in the franchise, we see Art tear Allie's (Casey Hartnett) arm from her body. In the same film, we also see the depraved murderer tear out Brooke's (Kailey Hyman) heart and even take a bite out of it.
With these examples in mind, it's clear that Art's sadism and penchant for cruelty are only matched by his grim strength. Furthermore, with kids seemingly on the chopping block for the Christmas-themed "Terrifier 3," we could see this vicious monster do even more unspeakable acts than those he committed in the first few films. Whether genre fans will end up throwing up or walking out again due to all of the gore remains to be seen.
Art can come back from the dead seemingly endlessly
After Art the Clown is brought back to life by an eerie, mystical force, fans who watched the first "Terrifier" movie were left reconsidering what exactly he is. While the actor who plays him, David Howard Thornton, suggests that Art is just a man in the first film, he also asserts that he has become something more after his death at the end of the movie.
This is seen again and again throughout "Terrifier 2." The sequel sees Art the Clown seemingly killed off multiple times, only to come back again and again. However, the special blade that Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan's (Elliot Fullham) father drew seems to show that there is something that can put Art down for the count.
Or is there? Despite the Shaw siblings seemingly killing Art off at the end of "Terrifier 2," the fiend is reborn through one of his victims from the first film, the horrifically disfigured Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi). However, this resurrection is much different and far more extreme than his other returns from beyond the grave.
While the first "Terrifier" already made it clear that Victoria has somehow been corrupted by Art's influence, the final scene of the second movie sees Victoria painting Art's name in blood before giving birth to his severed head, showing that he has been reborn yet again. Of course, this seems to have been caused in some way by the Little Pale Girl.
Is the Little Pale Girl Art the Clown's familiar?
After Sienna beheads Art the Clown at the end of "Terrifier 2," the Little Pale Girl appears to pick up his decapitated head and carry it away. This is followed by the moment mentioned above, where Victoria gives birth to Art's severed head, suggesting yet another mystical link to supernatural forces.
The Little Pale Girl makes her first appearance when she is seen defecating on the floor for her own amusement, but there's definitely more to her than these sorts of disgusting pranks. After all, she has only appeared since Art came back from the dead, and people who are unconnected to Art can't see her at all.
This suggests that she is at least partly responsible for Art's ability to return from the grave. However, it also means that she is likely a familiar of some kind. Known to follow witches and other servants of the devil, familiars are loyal servants who aid those who they follow. This also makes it seem like there may be a stronger connection between Art and The Little Pale Girl, and with that in mind, chances are that we'll be seeing more of her in "Terrifier 3."
Art can exert is demonic influence on those he victimizes
The first "Terrifier" movie ended on a shocking note when it was revealed that the events we were seeing weren't exactly happening in the order that they were presented. We find out that Victoria is the woman being interviewed by the journalist on television, and shortly thereafter, she is seen murdering the journalist.
Considering this, along with her seeming obsession with Art, despite all of the horrible things he did to her, this suggests that Art may be able to exert his demonic influence on others. Though we've only seen Art use this ability once, it's certainly possible that we will see it again in "Terrifier 3."
After all, both Sienna and Jonathan have had horrific violence enacted on them by Art, and both are still miraculously alive. While that might seem like a good thing at first, Art and Sienna seem to be locked in some sort of symbolic battle between good and evil. So where does that leave Jonathan? Perhaps as the next victim of Art's dark influence. While this is just a theory, viewers will recall that Jonathan was obsessed with Art long before they came into contact, and his unique connection to Art still hasn't truly been explored.
Art seems to return only on the holidays so far
Though many slasher villains, from Michael Myers to Ghostface, have been tied to the holidays, Art the Clown seems to only return on Halloween. However, this looks to have changed in the first teaser trailer for "Terrifier 3." Here, we see that the movie is centered around Christmas, suggesting that Art's power may be growing.
This is especially the case if the Christmas we're seeing in "Terrifier 3" is from the same calendar year as the events of "Terrifier 2," as this would suggest that it is taking less and less time for him to return, even from an injury as severe as decapitation. Furthermore, this means that Sienna's blade may no longer be enough to stop Art the Clown.
While we've only had two official movies following Art the Clown in the "Terrifier" franchise, it's safe to say that the villain has more than made an impact on genre enthusiasts. What kind of horrors he'll be unleashing next will remain to be seen, but if what we've seen thus far is any indication, it's going to get a lot worse before it starts to get better. Horror fans eagerly awaiting the character's return likely wouldn't have it any other way.