Reviews
[REVIEW] ‘TERRIFIER 3’ Brings a Bag of Tricks That Shocks and Delights Fans, but Gets Lost in the Gory Sauce
If you came looking for more lore to the Terrifier series, you might be disappointed in the mystery box style Leone indulges in as he drops bits and pieces of interesting demonology to have you looking at the past and toward the future of the series. Or you might be hooked; either way, you’ll be left wanting way more than what you get. Technically there is an explanation you can piece together as to what is going on, but questions of specific details and players lead to a vague reintroduction to the war between light and dark that was first shown in Terrifier 2. Cool visuals are aplenty, but you’ll really just end up asking “So what was that about then?” if you dig too deep in the blood-soaked candy corn bag and pull out a meaty tooth.
Quandt would despise it. Maltin would gag at it. Ebert and Siskel would warn all comers like harbingers of doom on a mountain road, probably with matching walking sticks. Because Terrifier 3 is exactly what you think it’s going to be: a tornado of viscera and bad taste, both nightmarish black humor and childish jokes, engineered by a cinematic mad scientist looking to make people vocally and physically react in their theater seats. It does just that, and it’s here to stay whether you like it or not.
Terrifier 3 is the State Fair of Horror Movies
By which I mean, Terrifier 3 is striking out to become the new state fair of horror movies: it will eventually get to the point where we have one every year or two, and people will continuously leave feeling like they were splattered with every manner of bodily fluid under the sun. But they’ll also be satisfied in surviving another house of horrors that will make their seat neighbors regurgitate and run in fear. It’s eating alligator on a stick and chugging down a deep-fried twinkie milkshake—you’re testing your stomach and enjoying every cavity-rotting minute of it. Or, puking behind the Ferris wheel, depends on whether you can hold it down.
Personally, I love the state fair, so if there’s any measure of how much I liked this film, it would be for those overlapping qualities; my appreciation of it is almost purely in how much I appreciate its dedication to diversion.
Damien Leone’s Vision: Chaos Without Chains
Terrifier 3 is a film that, while the product of dozens and dozens of incredibly talented people coming together to make pure distilled exploitation, also really screams of a director doing donuts in Screambox and Bloody Disgusting’s studio parking lot. Because we already know as long as there’s a Damien Leone, there’s probably going to be a Terrifier story to make, and there’s going to be more opportunities for him to do whatever he wants, however he wants. And I can appreciate an independent filmmaker who isn’t chained down by producers, even if what he makes can be a bit sloppy at times.
Five years after her fateful clash with Art the Clown, Sienna Shaw has left another stint in a psychiatric hospital in time to come home for the holidays. Spending time with her cousin Gabby as she wrestles with visions of the dead and her otherworldly experiences, Sienna’s strained relationships and dwindling mental health have left her on the ropes. Now, the few tenuous fibers of stability she’s clutching onto will be cut by the return of the demonic harlequin Art, revitalized as he and accomplice Victoria Heyes (victim turned handler/demonically possessed sitcom wife) return for another go around. Nothing good can come of this.
Performances That Balance Horror and Comedy
For the victims, I mean. Because in terms of the performances, all the returning cast burst onto the screen with vigor and excitement to be back. David Howard Thornton continues to bring the physical comedy of a rubber hose cartoon to real life as Art the Clown; it’s done in a way only he really can, switching from absolutely reprehensible to undeniably funny with his expressive acting on the turn of a dime.
Lauren LaVera continues to slowly carve more and more details of herself into the solid, gleaming marble of Scream Queen history as one of the most beloved final girls of all time. There are firework flashes of brilliance in her performance here, namely in a dinner scene early in the film and during the all-red-everything climax, where anguish pours out of her like a rushing waterfall of pain. She alone has a Midas touch that will keep plenty of people hooked on the franchise for a good long while.
Elliot Fullam, however, is a sore absence for the majority of the movie. Much like LaVera, what we do get of him is a phenomenal portrayal of his character: now a young college student, Jonathan is trying and failing to move past the hellish world he was introduced to. He’s in a waking nightmare, running down a never-ending hallway to try and return to normalcy, but failing until he reaches his boiling point. It’s an impressive moment in how physical and explosive it was. And for some reason, he’s distant from the plot for the rest of the runtime, much to the film’s detriment.
A Visual Onslaught
Fullam’s lacking presence is one in a few instances of footage clearly being left on the cutting room floor, making more space for the two tons of corn syrup and latex needed to make Art’s spree come to life in sacrilegious technicolor blasphemy. Which, could be worth it just from a technical standpoint when you have effects like these. They will make you lift your hands and shut your eyes involuntarily to escape every painful-looking slash, grind, and clobber that Art and Company have to offer with their assortment of torture instruments.
So, the film prioritizes the ludicrous hyperviolence that audiences have come to expect from the smash success of Terrifier 2, which is fine. Again, you don’t go to the state fair to find out the web of legends and lies surrounding those funnel cake stand employees. But be warned, the longer you think about the film, the more you notice continuity errors and ask why, how, and when things happen/happened.
Lore and Mystery: Bits and Pieces of Demonology
If you came looking for more lore to the Terrifier series, you might be disappointed in the mystery box style Leone indulges in as he drops bits and pieces of interesting demonology to have you looking at the past and toward the future of the series. Or you might be hooked; either way, you’ll be left wanting way more than what you get. Technically there is an explanation you can piece together as to what is going on, but questions of specific details and players lead to a vague reintroduction to the war between light and dark that was first shown in Terrifier 2. Cool visuals are aplenty, but you’ll really just end up asking “So what was that about then?” if you dig too deep in the blood-soaked candy corn bag and pull out a meaty tooth.
This might be the biggest sign of Damien Leone leaning dangerously back into comfort while making the film; the story really does get dragged under the tidal wave of gore that fans go into these movies now trying to surf. In interviews, he’s mentioned how there’s no turning back from the extremity of Terrifier as a series, and everything in this film from its perfect beats to its mirroring missteps scream of a filmmaker who believes that with their whole chest. It’s no longer enough to push the envelope, the envelope must enter low earth orbit.
Terrifier 3 A Halloween Must-See
For a Halloween horror movie to get your friends gawking (and subsequently talking on the way back through a dark parking lot), or to whittle away a cold October night inside, Terrifier 3 is an easy choice. But as much as I liked it for its blunt smashing mallet of terror and charnel chainsawing that had me recoiling against the theater seat, part of me wishes it wasn’t the easy choice. A part of me wishes it was more challenging than its transgressive special effects and assuredness in a long line of profitable sequels.
Leone is gunning it to try and scare his passengers one max occupancy theater at a time this Halloween, and make no mistake, I’m already buckled in. If it becomes a yearly tradition like Saw, I’ll be seated in theaters day one every time. But there is hope that the series doesn’t get too lost in the comedically evil kills and outlandish body horror that made it famous, so it can also keep innovating in a way that really catches you off guard.
The act of cutting and stitching can grant new life to a long dead prospect, or it can unleash a monster. Dr. Frankenstein understood the stakes, as does any filmmaker aiming to salvage the unsalvageable. The X-Files creator Chris Carter hopes for a celebratory resurrection – or at least the chance to right some cinematic wrongs – with a recut of his 2008 movie, The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Hulu dropped this new version on August 14 under the appropriately cobbled-together title, The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn. Carter insists it’s the edgy cut he’d always envisioned, untainted by notes from studio executives who wanted a sanitized PG-13 summer blockbuster.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe Gets a New Cut
If you’re not a die-hard X-phile, you could be excused for not even remembering the 2008 version of I Want to Believe. The box office bomb was released six years after the original show’s divisive series ending, in which Mulder and Scully depart from their X-Files post and become fugitives hunted by the FBI. Despite the open-ended nature of the TV finale, I Want to Believe was touted before its initial release as a Mulder-Scully reunion that would serve as a one-off case: the film would contain no references to the show’s ongoing mythology, which involved a convoluted alien conspiracy. This approach was welcomed by many fans who admired the scope and style of the first X-Files feature film, 1998’s Fight the Future, but longed to see a cinematic version of the show’s scary standalone tales like “Beyond the Sea” or “Home.”
Why the Original I Want to Believe Failed
Alas, the 2008 film is a plodding mess. Co-written (with Frank Spotnitz) and directed by Carter, the movie sees Mulder (David Duchovny, in all his deadpan glory) and Scully (Gillian Anderson, with all her understated power) co-habitating and keeping a low profile. Despite their fugitive status, the FBI enlists their help to find a missing agent. “All is forgiven,” the characters note, before it’s back to monster-chasing business as usual. Their only lead: Father Joe (Billy Connolly), a convicted pedophile priest who claims to have psychic visions. Scully’s outrage at his involvement leads her to a crisis of faith, while Mulder (and eventually the movie itself) has the stone-faced gall to encourage patience and sympathy for the sex offender. His visions eventually lead the duo to a Russian organ transporter running medical experiments to stitch together a new body for his ailing husband.
I Want to Believe Struggled as a Horror Movie
Even if I Want to Believe were a pristine thriller in the vein of Seven or Insomnia, its dour subject matter would still have sullied its chances against the competition: in the summer of 2008, the box office was dominated by crowd-pleasing juggernauts like Iron Man and The Dark Knight. But the movie is far from pristine. Its leaden pace makes it a chore for fans and newbies to withstand. Horror-wise, it lacks any monster-movie iconography or moments of unbearable dread. We’re a far cry from anything approaching the icky reveal of the sewer-dwelling Flukeman or the shiver-inducing antics of Satanic substitute teacher Miss Paddock.
I Want to Believe is devoid of the storytelling prowess, philosophical grit, stylistic innovation, and mordant humor that the show exuded at its peak. To top it all off, Carter populates the movie with bizarre directorial choices, including a moment in which Mulder gazes upon a framed photo of George W. Bush as the X-Files theme plays in the background, apropos of nothing. With its tonal muddle and meandering script, the movie was enough to make even the most dedicated fans question their belief in the franchise.
Chris Carter Returns to The X-Files
From 2016 to 2018, Carter revived the show for two seasons, which further served to frustrate longtime fans and newcomers with clunky creative choices. Since then, The X-Files has shown few promising signs of life, but it’s been awakened from the grave with recent news that Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners, is developing a reboot series. It appears that Carter has leveraged the newfound interest in the franchise to make this R-rated director’s cut a reality. But despite the writer-director’s claims that it’s gorier than the theatrical version, bloodthirsty horror fans are likely to shrug. The most notable additions of “gore” include a few new shots of dismembered body parts and headless corpses. These images feel more narratively functional than anything, dramatizing the “modern day Frankenstein” plot instead of just alluding to it in reams of expository dialogue.
How Vrach Frankenshteyn Improves the 2008 Movie
Crucially, though, the film feels tighter. It’s 7 minutes shorter than the original cut, and scenes are now edited at a more staccato, thriller-like pace. Much of what’s missing involves tender character moments between Mulder and Scully. Two of their smooches have been nixed, along with half of a scene that involves late-night cuddling between the paranormal-fixated paramours. References to the characters’ backstory have also gotten the chop, including nods to Mulder’s long-lost sister and Scully’s son she gave up for adoption. Mercifully, this new edit streamlines a tedious subplot involving a young boy whose dire illness Scully goes to great lengths to treat.
Mulder and Scully Remain the Film’s Greatest Strength
The slashing of these character-centric moments might sound ill-advised or even sacrilege to fans who believed Mulder and Scully’s potent onscreen chemistry was the only redeemable element from the theatrical cut. Surprisingly, it all works. Duchovny and Anderson do commendable work in conveying the pathos of all the heartache the duo has endured – their shared glances do more heavy-lifting than any of Carter and Spotnitz’s ham-fisted dialogue.
The X-Files Recut Still Has Major Problems
Still, all the recutting in the world can’t save the film from its inherent design flaws. Mulder and Scully are apart for far too long. Scully’s subplot with her young patient is a snooze, since it keeps her away from the X-File at hand. And that X-File is generic at best, homophobic at worst. The so-called “modern Frankenstein” wants to build a new body for his husband, whose connection to Father Joe plays into eyeroll-y stereotypes around trauma victims and queer people. In both 2008 and 2026, it all feels like something that would land on the reject pile in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit writers’ room.
Is Vrach Frankenshteyn Worth Watching?
While the original I Want to Believe is all but unwatchable, Vrach Frankenshteyn feels more like perfectly serviceable streaming fare. With Coogler’s much-anticipated reboot, many curious genre fans are checking out the show for the first time, working their way through all eleven seasons. If these newcomers wish to include I Want to Believe and the revival seasons in their binge-a-thon for sheer completists’ sake, they’d be well-advised to watch Vrach Frankenshteyn instead of the original: it’s a re-animated cinematic corpse that isn’t quite as beautiful as the Bride of Frankenstein, but it’s not quite dead-on-arrival either. If nothing else, at least it leaves that inexplicable George-W.-Bush-photo moment on the cutting room floor.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
David Robert Mitchell’s The End of Oak Street has only committed one crime: premiering this late into the summer movie slate. Hot off the heels of The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, one can only hope Oak Street won’t be lost in the noise of August’s bigger releases. Because those who go to see it will have the pleasure of witnessing one of the few movies this year to actually capture the feeling of those classic Hollywood blockbusters that made Steven Spielberg a household name. And indeed, it’s the blockbuster we’ve been waiting for.
What Is The End of Oak Street About?
The End of Oak Street follows the Platt family: mother Denise (Anne Hathaway), father Greg (Ewan McGregor), and kids Audrey and Brian (Maisy Stella, Christian Convery). Don’t forget their beloved dog, Starbuck (played by newcomer Brisket). Though they blend into their suburban confines as a typical family, turmoil bubbles as Denise and Greg’s strained marriage begins to take a toll on their children.
But soon, an even bigger problem begins to plague Oak Street. Mysterious flashes of light and sound that explode in the night, the largest of which culminates in the entire neighborhood being transported through time and space: from 1982 to the prehistoric era. As dinosaurs and other megafauna wreak havoc, hunting down the unprepared humans brought to their time, the Platt family struggles to figure out how they’ll stay alive and if they’ll even be able to find a way back home.
David Robert Mitchell’s Writing and Directing Make for A Certified Home Run
For those who have been starved for a truly great big-budget dinosaur film given the slow death of the Jurassic Park franchise, you really can’t ask for more than this. Writer-director David Robert Mitchell, the mind behind It Follows and Beneath the Silver Lake, has returned to mix sincere family-drama with a thrilling science fiction survival film. Oak Street blends a lot of heart into its gloomier aspects, at turns funny, dark, charming, and frightening. It runs the emotional gamut and keeps you pinned to your seat as Mitchell constructs a rich interior world for the Platt family that is grounded against the fantastic situation they’re thrust into.
They’re not revolutionary characters, not by a long shot. An emotionally distant father and a mother looking for purpose beyond a suffocating home life, rebellious kids who are impulsive and scared, it’s nothing new. The script writing isn’t bombastically clever. But it is incredibly compelling thanks to the naturalistic dialogue and on-screen chemistry between the four actors. The realistic struggles of the family, driven by phenomenal performances from Hathaway and McGregor first and foremost, balance against the more thrilling elements of the film and keep it from tipping over into mere spectacle.
80’s Suburbia Meets Cretaceous Terror in The End of Oak Street
When it zooms out from the family dilemma to indulge in that spectacle, though, it’s a visual feast and a half. Mitchell crafts an aesthetically luscious setting for the drama to take place in by melding 80’s suburbia with Cretaceous jungles. The blend of modern and primeval elements makes for a deadly and breathtaking environment, constructed with some incredible production design and wonderful digital effects.
Those effects never get old as we see the world beyond the block, and the same can be said for its numerous monstrous reptiles that populate it. Each new one the film pits the family against is more dangerous than the last, and they all look phenomenal. They have genuine weight and impact on screen, and if you even had to ask how, of course it’s Industrial Light & Magic doing their strongest cinema sorcery yet again.
Mitchell and Gioulakis Are On Their Photography A-Game
Mitchell and returning cinematographer Michael Gioulakis weave the camera through the neighborhood in a slick fashion, moving through buildings and yards deftly. They block every chase sequence and dinosaur encounter with immense style, resulting in some especially creative sequences. The locations feel purposeful, and the way the camera swoops and dives around is adventurous and legitimately energized. The dynamic camera work pairs with editing that’s snappy and perfectly paced, leaving just enough room to breathe between its exhilarating moments of prehistoric peril.
The End of Oak Street Is a Must-Watch Blockbuster
By its final scenes, Oak Street cements itself as a new favorite of the year. Big stars bringing bigger and more heartfelt performances, big budget effects that actually manage to wow you over and over, and a big entertainment value that reminds you of how even the simplest stories can generate a feeling of true adventure. The End of Oak Street is endlessly impressive and will revitalize even the most fatigued theatergoers this year.
