As an avid horror movie fan, I was ecstatic when I heard another “Terrifier” movie would soon hit the theaters, inducing yet another brief phobia of clowns and another sleepless night. Now I find myself feeling grateful I used an AMC gift card on my ticket instead of wasting $15.

If I had to describe this movie in five words, I would say: “Horrifically nasty waste of time.”

I wasn’t sure whether I loved or hated this movie at first, but one thing is for certain: I was thoroughly uncomfortable throughout the entire film.

The “Terrifier” movies are known for their gore, and this movie didn’t disappoint if you’re coming for the literal “blood and guts” of the film, as long as you’re fine with your own gut churning.

I would like to de-bunk a rumor: I was not given a “barf-bag” upon entering the theater although one would’ve been beneficial to the couple who had a situation in the back row mid-movie.

The movie’s gore is something that outshines the movies that came before it and it is something to be taken seriously.

Art the clown, the twisted, sadist serial killer clown is the star of the show for a third movie, the action of the film taking place around the horrific, inhumane murders that ensue at his hand.

I recommend watching the first two movies before watching the third one to understand the plot, its characters and so you know what kind of gore you’re getting into with this holiday-from-hell addition to the franchise.

This movie requires a 17-and-up-ID-check to watch at the theater although the brutality and straight gore made me feel I was too young to be seeing this at 18.

As I sat uncomfortably in my seat in the smaller theater, (because obviously you don’t want anyone puking in the IMAX) I noticed how the practically empty theater made the whole experience worse because I felt no expectation to look tough in front of any strangers as jump scare after jump scare pushed me closer and closer to just leaving.

I can proudly say I cried during an unimaginably horrifying murder scene. “Terrifier 3” takes “slasher films” to a whole new level of… well… “slash her.”

If it wasn’t for the actual plot and acting in this film, it would have been an outstanding addition to the nightmare-inducing collection.

The acting in the franchise has significantly gotten worse throughout the second and third movies, the actors making the films seem almost like a bad PSA gone wrong more than an actual horror movie.

Unsurprisingly, the acting was still outrageously bland for this kind of a film, and it was disappointing to say the least that the only great actors were the returning cast from past films.

Art, played by David Howard Thornton, continues to disturb and unsettle audiences in the completely silent role. Thorton carries this film with his outstanding acting and never fails to make an entire theater leave a little nauseated.

Among Thorton, other returning actors such as Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria, Lauren LaVera as Sienna and Elliot Fullam as Jonathon were a pleasant surprise, all of whom held together the mess that was the acting in this movie.

Unfortunately, the acting doesn’t even touch on the real “terrifier” of this film: the plot.

The scariest thing about Art is the character’s essence itself. He is largely characterized by being some other entity that always comes back to life throughout the movies. The intentional fear of the unknown is what truly makes the “Terrifier” movies so terrifying,

This was tragically ruined in the third movie, and the plot twist included ruined the previous two movies as well. Art was made a simple and beatable character, destroying the fear factor of the reputable killer clown.

The execution of the plot and its turns was poor and it was extremely disappointing to watch an entire franchise turn outrageously cheesy from just one movie.

Beyond the gore, “Terrifier 3” was devastatingly disappointing. Not only the strange season change to Christmas/wintertime, (even though the film was still released in October) but also the blatantly bad acting and bland storyline made this movie a mess.

The “Terrifier” movies are known for their gore, but the horrific acting and terrible plot of this film battles its brutality for the scariest thing about this movie.