Author: Ross Hepburn. Ross is an avid fan of horror and a founder of HauntedBurgh, a ghost tour company operating in Edinburgh.

I feel it’s now necessary to share not only my opinion on what I assumed would have won my award for The Best Film of This Year. But also reprint a retraction to the previous statement I made in the last review that I posted for this magazine, namely: ‘It could have quickly become my favourite horror film of 2024. But, to borrow a line from Rick and Morty: “I’ve really Cronenberged the whole world up, didn’t I?” Yes, The Substance, you did. Hang your head in shame. I’m not angry; I’m just disappointed.’ With that said,  here’s my review of Terrifier 3. 

Now, you must realise that I’m actually a huge fan of the Terrifier films. The first one was a grindhouse and exploitation thrill ride that left me stunned watching the screen. And the second film was such a vast improvement from the first as it has a scene in the film that I genuinely find incredibly offensive. And I loved it. 

So naturally I am a fan of the franchise and was ecstatic to hear that the third film was going to be shown in UK cinemas. An opportunity for an independent horror film that through word of mouth has been able to be seen across multiple platforms all over the world and break box office records was something that a horror fan like me couldn’t wait to be a part of. I was truly excited for the future of the series.

When I got to the cinema to watch Terrifier 3, I was thrilled. The moment the film started, and the blood poured down the screen, the violence was full pelt and seeing people walk out in disgust was one of the best sights I was expecting from a film like this. This was everything I could have ever wanted…and that is precisely what is wrong with it. It is everything I wanted from a third Terrifier film. 

Now this isn’t a detriment to the film’s outside talent. Damien Leone is improving with each film and creative endeavour he’s getting across. And he is beginning to prove that there is more to his visual style than just explicit gore and graphic violence. As he continues to add more to the franchise, you get a sense that his perfection and skills are getting better and better. And now that he has a full Hollywood team working with him, he doesn’t have to stretch himself too thin over what he has to do. The previous films he made, had Damian writing, directing, editing, and also even doing the special effects makeup. But now with his modest $2 million budget, he was able to delegate properly what he wanted from the film and the relaxing attitude this film has is very much a reward for Leone…But it did feel like it was missing something raw and visceral. Which is surprising to say, considering what kind of franchise this is. 

It built further on the lore of the previous films, and the returning cast members of the second film are certainly stronger in their performances now, containing more character development and motivations regarding where the story is going. On top of that, the main character of the film Art The Clown, is more horrendous and villainous than ever. He’s now been made so evil that he is literally killing children on screen. 

The murders are memorable, and one murder becomes more memorable than the other. However, I honestly cannot say that I saw a kill in this film that traumatised me. Terrifier 2 to this day still has a murder scene in it, and when I watched it, I genuinely questioned what I was watching and why I put myself through it. Even now when I have rewatched it and I know that scene is coming, my stomach still gets itself in knots over what I’m about to put myself through again. And that was in the second film. This film didn’t have any scenes like that for me. It was still impressive, and it was still fantastic horror. But it’s what I came to expect. 

Truth be told…This film…isn’t The Substance. 

Now look. I know you are probably reading this right and you’re thinking “But Ross. You hated the ending of The Substance. You said it Cronenberg-ed itself and it put the film off for you by the time you left the cinema.”

And you’re right. I did. But I would be lying if I said that after 3 months of watching The Substance, I completely forgot about it. It occupies my thoughts all the time. I’m still having conversations about the complexities of the film, what the motivations drove the characters and ultimately how great the film was. And it is. It’s a masterpiece. It did something so rare in cinema these days. You didn’t know what was going to happen and left you wondering. It challenged you; it pushed you and left you wondering what’s happening next. The Substance makes you question, Terrifier 3 is everything you expect. 

And I feel bad writing this as someone who loves Terrifier 3 and thought the film was fantastic. But it’s just not as good a film compared to watching something challenging. If you want to turn your brain off and watch a senseless, trashy horror slasher, then watch this. It’s great. It’s absolutely fantastic. Just don’t watch The Substance before it. 

Terrifier 3 rewards you for watching it and thanks you for your time and company. It’s strangely polite in that way. But the Film of the Year award won’t be going to Terrifier 3 like its predecessor. It gets worthy praise and loving adoration from me. But The Substance is the film of the year. For coming out and ruining other horror films for everyone else. By the way, you can read my review of The Substance here, below Dinah’s take.