Let’s get this out of the way, Art the Clown is a very cool creation, and a very deadly mime. That being said, the narrative around the character and the way the film is shot left a little to be desired.

Trapped in a rough script, the film is luridly garish, but its uninspired cinematography doesn’t do itself any favors. It’s so sharply presented that while I was watching it, I felt the entire movie would have been better served if it had been shot on film. It feels like it is honoring the old school films of the 70s and 80s, and revels in its gore.

In fact there are some really fun nods to genre classics like Halloween, and modern favorites like Saw. It embraces the genre completely, and there are some truly bloody kills, and one truly horrific one.

The film is cobbled together with a barebones script that sees two women, Dawn (Catherine Corcoran) and Tara (the very lovely Jenna Kanell). After a night of partying they are getting ready to head home, but need to sober up a bit first. They stop in a pizza joint, after coming to the attention of Art the Clown, who is wandering the corners and alleys with a giant garbage bag, and homicidal tendencies.

It’s a very recognizable story, the beats are all there, soaked in gore. Neither the supporting performances, nor the script itself are particularly strong, and that can oust some viewers, while the gore could push others away.

But for all it’s faults, it does one thing, it brings Art the Clown front and center in the world of horror. In a genre that has seen thousands of killers and monsters, only a few truly become iconic. And Art the Clown, I’m pretty sure he’s on his way to the top, to join the likes of Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers.

Brought to life by a trained mime, David Howard Thornton, Art is pretty horrifying, though there are moments when that same mime work could have brought just a touch more comedy to the character, which in turn could have made him truly terrifying.

The character is definitely that.

The gore, and makeup effects are pretty solid, and impressive. There’s plenty to satisfy the gorehounds, and Leone doesn’t hold back as characters are beaten, cut, killed…

There’s two sequels for me to catch up on, and while I hope some of Art’s backstory is revealed, I hope we don’t get a lot. Let’s keep it dark and frightening.

I suppose now that I’ve seen the first one I’ll have to check out the sequels. I didn’t hate Terrifier, but there’s not a lot here to love, just the possibilities for the character, and some interesting and oh so bloody kills.