Bloody Disgusting’s “Terrifier 2” probably won’t win any Oscars at next year’s Academy Awards. Heck, it would be a pleasantly amusing surprise if Art the Clown’s second slasher film received Oscar nominations, even in tech categories related to makeup or visual effects.
But the filmmakers behind this season’s breakout horror movie, OK, the season’s *other* breakout horror movie (with all due respect to “Smile”), have officially come up for the Academy’s consideration.
Producer Steve Barton told TheWrap on Friday that the submission was legit and by the book and that the motivation for submitting it was mainly because they could. After all, it’s free to submit a movie and it seems to have caught the eye of the Academy.
“That’s a win, too,” Barton said. “They know we’re going to get there.”
The obviously tongue-in-cheek teaser for “Terrifier 2” (embedded below) highlighting the film’s shocking staying power and fan-driven buzz (two things that don’t always directly correlate), signals that the film has been officially unveiled. for the consideration of the Academy.
Barton confirmed that there are at least tentative plans to ship awards season screenings, either on physical DVDs or digital copies online. Beyond that, promotion is a matter of spending money on what is essentially a practical joke, partly for the sake of free advertising.
Yes, it tickles the soul to think of stereotypical Academy members – or really anyone who isn’t a really committed horror movie fan – being “forced” to watch Art the overly gruesome follow-up entry. Clown as part of their year-end awards. season projection sprint.
Damien Leone’s “Terrifier 2” is an unrated, gore-filled slasher epic that continues the not-so-moving adventures of its silent, gleefully homicidal assassin antagonist (played by David Howard Thornton). It’s a follow-up to the 2016 underground slasher movie that was briefly popular on Netflix in late 2017, in part because it appeared on the service just as the first “It” was breaking box office records.
That there was a sequel was a surprise, even more so that it ended up opening in 850 theaters nationwide (Thursday through Tuesday in various theaters) the weekend between “Smile” and “Halloween Ends.”
He outperformed in early October, earning $805,000 in the Friday-Sunday portion of a $1.36 million Thursday-Tuesday debut. In its second weekend it earned $1.03 million (+28%) despite falling to 700 theaters. It jumped a “Greatest Showman”-worthy 70% on weekend three for a $1.7 million gross and then expanded to 1,555 theaters over Halloween weekend for a $1.9 million weekend gross.
It has earned over $8.6 million domestically and may hit $10 million when it hits theaters. This, despite playing mostly one or two late-night shows a night at participating multiplexes.
Most of the movie operates within the realm of extreme horror content, except for one murder midway through the movie that probably goes overboard. It’s still certainly a more challenging watch for those with weak stomachs or strong moral fibers than something like the latest “elevated” A24 horror game or even an unapologetic old-school slasher like “Scream.” It is closer to the grindhouse films of the 1970s, pictures that were sometimes (in the UK) called “video nasties” and tended to be banned abroad and subject to protest and backlash.
At 138 minutes, it’s long, but to be fair, its first act is largely focused on developing its latest girl (Lauren LaVera), and you can see every drop of her 20 gallons of blood on the screen. It’s the very definition of “not to everyone’s taste,” and there are many who would consider themselves horror movie fans who would, without judgment, pass this one up.
In terms of Oscar potential, it’s objectively no more absurd than any number of (possibly harmless) “for your consideration” campaigns run each year by studios to keep their high-profile clients happy. For example, did anyone really think, back in 1997, that Michael Jordan was going to be nominated for Best Actor for “Space Jam”?
It’s fun to consider that “Terrifier 2” ends up in the Thanksgiving weekend screen pile along with “The Fabelmans” or “Till.” Nonetheless, the film remains a true low-profile, fan-driven, word-of-mouth theatrical hit. It’s another example of how horror movies like “Freaky,” “A Quiet Place part II,” “Barbarian” and “Smile” (and, if you count them as monster movies, “Godzilla Vs. Kong” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”) have helped keep multiplexes alive between periodic releases since late 2020.
Plus, it’s another example of how low-key movies aimed at smaller but engaged demographics (“Christmas With The Chosen,” “RRR,” “BTS: Permission To Dance,” “Demon Slayer The Movie,” etc.) they can pull off consistently strong grosses, even as studio programmers and non-blockbusters become riskier as theatrical stakes.
While ‘Terrifier 2’ probably doesn’t pose a threat to the likes of ‘Tár’, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ or ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, it remains one of the most refreshing theatrical success stories of the year.
“If the Academy had a sense of humor,” Barton said, “they would let Art the Clown come up on stage and present an award.”