Director of ‘Terrifier 3’ defends movie against sexism allegations

Posted On October 15, 2024October 15, 2024

The director of Terrifier 3, Damien Leone, has spoken out to defend the film against accusations of misogyny. Leone said that sexism is “So not me.”

Terrifier 3, the latest offering in cult slashers, was released on October 11th. The film has been pinned as one of the goriest and most horror-infused films of 2024, as the Christmas-set thriller welcomes the return of Art The Clown, who is pursuing Sienna Shaw. Sienna Shaw is played by Lauren LaVera, who is trying to rebuild her life following the events of the former movie. 

While a lot of horror fans enjoyed the movie, some people have criticised it. Many people who saw the film have claimed that the Terrifier series has a sexist streak running throughout it. 

In an interview with IndieWire, Leone was asked about the sexist themes present throughout the movie. “I don’t think it’s a funny matter,” he said, “But it’s so not me that I do find it kind of hilarious.”

He continued, “It’s also a trope that I grew up loving. The ‘final girl’ is such a powerful element to these movies, and I don’t think it’s as impactful if it’s a ‘final man’. Men are just more reprehensible in general, and you’re already used to seeing them die [in other genres].”

Despite some controversy surrounding the film, it had a successful opening weekend. It managed to top the charts at the US box office, beating its clown-based counterpart, Joker: Folie à Deux.

Terrifier is steadily becoming a cult classic. The original came out in 2018, written and directed by Leone and produced on a budget of $35,000. The film, which had a mysterious killer clown at its centre, went viral on social media because of the high levels of gore that make up a huge part of the picture. It gained enough traction to justify a sequel.

The sequel had a higher budget, as it was made for around $250,000. It built on the reputation it had already established, delivering a lot of blood and gore to all those who watched. There were even reports that some people watching the horror were so shocked by the scenes on screen that they passed out in the cinema.

With the franchise’s third instalment, Damien Leone has delivered on his promise to amp up the gore even further. This was easy for them to do, given the film’s larger budget than its predecessors. 

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