Terrifier 2 is a 2022 American supernatural slasher film[2][6][7] written, edited, and directed by Damien Leone. It is the sequel to Terrifier (2016) and the second installment in the Terrifier film series. It includes the return of David Howard Thornton and Samantha Scaffidi, who portrayed Art the Clown and Victoria Heyes, respectively, in the first film, and stars Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt, Kailey Hyman, and Casey Hartnett. The plot follows Art’s resurrection and pursuit on Halloween night of teenage Sienna Shaw (LaVera), who discovers that she is destined to defeat him.
The film originated from a feature film concept Leone began developing shortly after filming his directorial debut short film The 9th Circle (2008). The concept of the planned film focused heavily on an angel-dressed heroine and ultimately fell apart. Following its predecessor’s release, Leone wanted to bring the heroine back—she would evolve into Sienna, someone Leone describes as the “heart and soul” of Terrifier 2. Leone spent three months writing a character-driven screenplay following criticism of the first film’s perceived lack of narrative.
Funding was exacting as the script was more ambitious than the first film and required a bigger budget. Leone secured finances from private investors prior to filming, and he launched an Indiegogo campaign with a $50,000 goal to produce a practical effects-driven scene. The campaign was a massive success, reaching over 430% of the initial goal with a donation total of $250,000. It is one of the numerous films impacted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, with principal photography coming to a halt mid-2020 due to the pandemic lockdowns.
Terrifier 2 had its premiere at the FrightFest on August 29, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 6, by Cinedigm. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for LaVera and Thornton’s performances, though the film’s runtime received some criticism. Many critics considered the film to be an improvement over its predecessor. A sequel, Terrifier 3, was released in October 2024.
Cast
- Lauren LaVera as Sienna Shaw, Jonathan’s older sister[8]
- David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown
- Elliott Fullam as Jonathan, Sienna’s younger brother
- Sarah Voigt as Barbara, mother of Sienna and Jonathan
- Kailey Hyman as Brooke, Sienna’s friend
- Casey Hartnett as Allie, Sienna’s friend
- Charlie McElveen as Jeff, Brooke’s boyfriend
- Amelie McLain as the Little Pale Girl[b]
- Johnath Davis as Ricky, the costume shop clerk
- Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria Heyes, the sole survivor of the events of the first film, who is now in a psychiatric hospital[9]
- Leah Voysey as Clown Cafe TV host / Nurse
- Chris Jericho as Adam Burke, a nurse
- Felissa Rose as Ms. Principe
- Owen Myre as Sean
- Griffin Santopietro as Eric
- Tamara Glynn as costume shop mom
Additionally, Jenna Kanell and Catherine Corcoran are credited for photographic cameos as Tara and Dawn, respectively.
