It’s been five years since the last movie’s events. Sienna, still dealing with mental health struggles, is spending Christmas at her supportive aunt and uncle’s place, finding some comfort with her little cousin, Gabbie. Her brother Jonathan, on the other hand, is trying to move past all the old trauma by diving into college life.

But here’s the twist—Art the Clown isn’t actually dead. Even though Sienna beheaded him in the last film, he’s somehow back and ready for more chaos. And he’s not alone this time; Victoria, who’s equally unhinged and recently escaped from a criminal asylum, joins him.

Sienna is once again facing her terrifying enemy, with all the blood and danger that comes with it. This time, though, the spooky Halloween vibes of the first movie are swapped out for a Christmas setting. Picture Art in a creepy Santa costume, causing chaos everywhere—that’s the kind of wild energy this sequel delivers.

But honestly? Not much has changed story-wise. We learn a tad more about Sienna’s dad who’s an artist guy but don’t really understand her role as some sort of justice warrior fully fleshed out yet.

The film kinda picks up slowly—at first it switches between the clown doing his gruesome stuff and giving us some rather dull insights into what’s happening with Sienna—and Jonathan too—but you get the drift!
In the movie, you’ve got this classmate’s girlfriend who’s oddly obsessed with a criminal thing involving two brothers. It’s not super gripping, honestly.

Anyway, after getting through those story pieces, the film really shifts gears. In the second half—especially towards the end—it’s like a wild horror party. There’s no shortage of crazy stuff: we’ve got bodies getting cut up, skinned—you name it. At one point, they even shove rats down someone’s throat!

Then there’s this epic showdown between Sienna and Art the clown. Picture chainsaws like in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” mixed with a magical sword. Art himself is kinda your typical creepy clown—nothing groundbreaking there—but thanks to David Howard Thornton’s acting, he adds just enough humor to keep things interesting while committing these horrific acts.

But here’s the kicker: much like other famous horror villains, Art being almost invincible takes away some suspense. Instead of being on the edge of your seat over whether he’ll be defeated or not, you start focusing more on how creatively gruesome each scene will turn out.

So yeah, no real surprises here plot-wise. But Damien Leone knows what his fans want and delivers it with style.
This movie’s got a good amount of blood and gore, and the special effects really hit the mark. Lauren LaVera’s back in action with her character, though she doesn’t have as much to do this time compared to Terrifier 2. Her fight scenes aren’t quite as over-the-top either. There’s a fun little cameo from Tom Savini, the legendary special effects guru, who seems to be enjoying himself in his brief appearance. The ending? Oh, it definitely leaves things wide open for another sequel down the road.