A wordless killer clown is back to haunt us through the big screen
Inspired by a Religious Studies 201: Ghosts, Monsters and Demons class, I wanted to explore one of the most interesting monster characters to appear on the big screen.
One of the most notable cult classics of our generation is Damian Leone’s Terrifier franchise. Centring around a psychotic killer clown named Art, the trilogy is the peak of modern slasher horror.
The first installment of the trilogy came out in 2018. However, the show peaked in popularity only recently following the release of the third movie in 2024 and the announcement of the fourth film in 2025. Thanks to the realms of TikTok and Instagram reels, this killer clown went viral.
So, in theory, if you follow historical scary clowns, we should all be shuddering at even the thought of another clown serial killer. But for some reason, despite his brutal kills in the film, this sarcastic black and white clown has won over audiences everywhere.
Saving grace of this film – David Thorton
Now to all those who have not seen the films, the first one is a hard watch. Leone had a shoestring budget to work with and no one believed in the films. The acting is poor, the graphics are meh, the storyline is a bit weird and, overall, it is not a high-quality film. The saving grace of this film, however, was David Howard Thorton also known as Art.
Leone developed the story of Art before the production of the Terrifier who first appeared in the short film The 9th Circle (2008). Although he looks significantly different in the short film, the main themes of the character are present. When Thorton took over in 2016, Art became who he is now.
Initially, Thornton’s agent told him not to take the role of Art the Clown because he felt that the film would go nowhere. Little did his agent know, it would make him a household name for horror fans.
Thornton is a stage actor with a quirky voice who took on the role of Art with no prior experience of acting in films. He was coming off a bad string of auditions in New York and stumbled upon Leone’s new film. The rest, as they say, is history.
While filming, Thornton would have to endure two-and-a-half hours of elaborate makeup to get into Art’s character. They had to make a full mask for the actor’s face which they glued to his skin. Then they painted around his eyes and mouth for the clown’s characteristic look. He also wore prosthetic teeth.
Thornton is able to portray a demonic serial murder clown character without speaking a single word. He does not make any sound. To me, it is truly a feat of great acting. Some actors can speak an entire script of dialogue and cannot accomplish what Thornton did wordlessly.” – Hana Grace
Horrifying silence
Now, for me, as a bit of a nerd, the most intriguing thing about this whole franchise is that Art the Clown NEVER speaks. He is essentially a mime clown. Thornton is able to portray a demonic serial murder clown character without speaking a single word. He does not make any sound. To me, it is truly a feat of great acting. Some actors can speak an entire script of dialogue and cannot accomplish what Thornton did wordlessly.
The character, Art, is also hilarious and ridiculous. He can be comically portrayed. However, at his core, he is, in my opinion, more demonic than Stephen King’s Pennywise. You have a killer that you can visibly tell likes to do what he is doing but does not verbally express it, which makes it more horrifying than the images flashing on your TV.
Some of the most notable killers in horror cinema do not speak, such as Friday the 13th’s Jason, Halloween’s Mike Meyers, and Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. These characters are some of the most horrific characters in the horror genre. Their movies continue to terrify audiences to this day.
Terrifyingly undefinable
What makes the Terrifier franchise different from these films? At the start of the movie, Art is a human playing a clown. This is shown to viewers by him applying the paint to his face and teeth. At the end of the film, Art dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being cornered by police. Art’s body is taken to the morgue where the coroner starts to examine him and the lights start flashing aggressively. Then you see Art grab the mortician and start to choke him.
This implies something that is an interesting change for the second and third films. Art is now supernatural. This brings a new element to the films and to the character himself. Art the Clown being a supernatural creature means that it changes his interactions with his victims. How will the victims get away? Can something actually kill this supernatural killer clown?
Art not only has the ability to resurrect himself, he also has demonic properties and unnatural strength. According to Dr. William Arnal, my RLST 201 professor, monsters violate categories. Taking multiple characteristics or parts of different animals or people and combining them is what makes monsters uncomfortable for us because we cannot define them into conventional categories.
Art the Clown fits that dynamic perfectly. He has the build of a human, the looks of a clown, and super human strength so not only is he terrifying in action, he is also terrifying because we cannot define what he is.
Art has become much more than Leone thought he would become when he made The 9th Circle. He is often seen as a comedic entity (minus the serial murdering, of course!) and is a fan favorite at this year’s Universal Studios Horror Nights.
Fans love this weird mime clown. The fourth film is set for release in Oct. 2026 – a Halloween debut, most likely. I, personally, predict, with the magic of social media and the love around Art, that it will be the most successful film yet.
