Looking for movies about Art the Clown? We have compiled a rating of all the films where this villain is. Chilling Terrifier 2 villain Art the Clown has starred in four horror films, but not all of them were as successful as his last outing. Every slasher movie villain has strong and weak roles. Freddy Krueger's screen debut was abysmal, but by 1987 he had released a new rap album. Likewise, not all of Art the Clown's film appearances have been as reliably terrifying as the aptly titled Terrifying series of films.
Art the Clown has appeared in four films, starting with his debut in the 2008 short "The 9th Circle" and ending with the recent sequel "Terrifying 2." The surprise box office success of "Terrifying 2" catapulted Art the Clown into the mainstream, but it was the 2016 cult film "Terrifying" that first introduced many horror audiences to the character. Previously, Art appeared in the 2013 horror anthology film Halloween Eve, a low-budget effort directed by Damian Leone that paved the way for the Terrifying films, but with a different actor playing the character. While each Art the Clown appearance has its charms, some are more successful than others.
9th circle (2008)
The 2008 short film The Ninth Circle first introduced audiences to Art the Clown. The villain appears at the very beginning of the short film, meeting the heroine of "The Ninth Circle" Casey in an empty train car. In the black-and-white original version, Art Clown soon drugs Casey, and the heroine wakes up in an underground room, where she is attacked by members of a demonic cult. This controversial story is further developed in All Hallow's Eve, and as a result, it's hard to shake the feeling that The 9th Circle's story isn't complete, even though the short film has some effective jump scares.
All Hallows' Eve (2013)
2013's All Hallow's Eve marked Art the Clown's first starring role, although the villain is played by actor Mike Giannelli rather than Terror's David Howard Thornton. A series of short films linked by a frame of a babysitter (also named Casey) watching them on Halloween night, On Halloween Eve has a classic horror anthology problem. Anything involving Art the Clown is undeniably scary, but the plot of a murder cult and alien abduction feels like unnecessary filler. Director Damian Leone has admitted that he decided not to focus on Art in All Hallow's Eve so as not to spoil "Terrifying", and, unfortunately, this approach reduces the stand-alone appeal of All Hallow's Eve.
Terrifying (2016)
After the memorably disgusting ending of All Hallow's Eve, 2016's Terrifying is a full-on dive into depravity. The plot of this 80's slasher film has a couple of friends trying to escape from Art the Clown during one long and bloody Halloween night. It's mostly just an excuse to set up some memorable grisly kills, some really intense chase scenes, and plenty of jokes from a new, scarier version of Art the Clown. Fortunately, David Howard Thornton's mesmerizing performance as the character ensures that The Scarecrow lives up to its title, remaining consistently tense and disarmingly creepy throughout its short runtime. However, it is the darkness of "The Scarecrow" that prevents it from taking first place.
Terrifying 2 (2022)
In a rare move for a horror movie sequel, Terrifying 2 completely improves on its predecessor. While The Frightening is more violent and just as intense as the previous film, The Frightening 2 is also less desperate than the previous slasher film. The heroine, Lauren LaVera's Sienna, is tough as nails and worth rooting for, giving Art the Clown his first worthy adversary in four films. Meanwhile, inventive kills, a dark sense of humor and a massive body count make "Terrifying 2" a triumph and explain how an independent horror film made a huge box office impact upon release. "Terrifying 2" builds on the ultra-violence of its predecessors, but it doesn't have the amateurish visuals of "All Hallow's Eve" or the stifling nihilism of "Terrifying."
Where The Ninth Circle felt decidedly unfinished—and, indeed, expanded into All Hallow's Eve—All Hallow's Eve's biggest problem was that it was an uneven horror anthology that failed to focus on its main star, the clown. Arte. However, ironically, the problems with "Terrifying" stemmed from the fact that the slasher film didn't give audiences anyone to root for other than the unstoppable Art. Watching Art the Clown massacre helpless victims is frighteningly fun for the time being, but Terrifier 2 improves on this by giving Art an enemy who can defeat him, even if only temporarily. This raises the stakes of the plot, making Terrifying 2 Art the Clown's best film to date.
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