Why Terrifier 3’s Critics Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Dropped So Much

The latest installment in the Terrifier franchise, Terrifier 3, started out with an outstanding Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score, yet the longer the movie has been out, the lower its critics’ score has gotten. Terrifier is a horror franchise that originated in 2016, and has become more and more popular ever since its premiere. The first movie follows Tara Heyes and her sister Victoria as they begin to be stalked by a terrifying individual named Art the Clown. Terrifier 2 and 3 center on a teenager named Sienna Shaw, who is destined to defeat Art the Clown once and for all.

Although Terrifier 3 premiered in early October, the movie has already earned notable praise. Not only is it receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, but it also stands out because it is one of the rare unrated movies that was able to be released in movie theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It may become the highest-grossing unrated movie of all time. On top of that, Terrifier 3’s overwhelming gore is a major subject for discussion. Thus, Terrifier 3 has a lot going for it, which makes it even stranger that its critics’ score has decreased.

Terrifier 3’s Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score Has Dropped By 13 After Its Release

Terrifier 3’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Broke Records

Prior to its release, Terrifier 3 had an impressive 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics lauded the movie for its intense violence and the performances by David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown and Lauren LaVera as Sienna. Some claimed that Terrifier 3 cements the franchise as one of the scariest slashers to date. Others warned that not every viewer would be able to tolerate the shocking bloodiness of this movie. Yet, no matter what superlatives critics gave this movie, the general consensus was that Terrifier 3 was an amazing movie and ranked high among holiday horror flicks.

If this wasn’t convincing enough, Terrifier 3’s initial Rotten Tomatoes score also broke a number of records for the franchise. The 2024 movie quickly became director Damien Leone’s highest-rated movie of all time. It also topped the charts for other members of Terrifier 3’s cast, including Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi, Chris Jericho, and more. At 87%, Terrifier 3 was the highest-rated Terrifier movie to date as well, just barely outranking its predecessor, Terrifier 2. However, now that the movie has been released to a wider audience, the movie has come to rest at a 74%.

Why Terrifier 3’s Post-Release Reviews Have Been So Much More Negative

Critics Doubt Terrifier 3’s Quality

Among the critics who championed Terrifier 3, there are also an increasing number of naysayers. When the film had 87%, there were only about seven negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, there are upwards of 17. The most obvious reason why Terrifier 3’s score has gone down is because more people have seen the movie. With more opinions, there comes more risk of negative reviews. It isn’t often that absolutely everyone loves a specific movie. There will always be those who have problems with a project. When it comes to Terrifier 3 though, there seems to be a common theme.

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Is Terrifier 3 As Gory & Violent as It’s Advertised?

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For the most part, those who condemn Terrifier 3 are critical of the movie’s reliance on gore. While the franchise’s bloody atmosphere is enticing for some horror fanatics, others are concerned about what this over-the-top violence is covering up. Namely, they fear that Terrifier 3’s bloodbath is a detriment to the quality of the story. Some critics argue that by trying to outdo itself, Terrifier 3 is putting its storytelling and its characters second. In this way, Terrifier 3 may be a spectacle, but it may lack the substance of a truly great movie.

Terrifier 3’s Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score Drop Isn’t That Concerning

Terrifier 3 Is Still Doing Great

Although it’s disappointing that Terrifier 3’s critics’ score declined, it isn’t taking a massive toll on the movie. A Certified Fresh 74% is still a solid score, and it is supported by Terrifier 3’s audience score, which sits at a notable 88%. Furthermore, Terrifier 3 is doing very well financially. On a tiny budget of $2 million, the movie has raked in more than $28 million worldwide, and that is still subject to increase the longer the movie is out. In this way, the negative opinions of certain critics may mess with Terrifier 3’s numbers, but the movie is still succeeding.

What is even more exciting is that Terrifier 3 is likely not going to be the end of the Terrifier franchise. Leone has confirmed that he wants to continue making Terrifier movies, which means Terrifier 4 is imminent. Leone even gave a hint about where the film series will go during an interview with Variety. He said, “The idea I’m toying with in my head would probably be in some regards the most experimental, so I can’t dive into it too much.” Terrifier 3 seems to be just the start of an amazing conclusion to a show-stopping slasher franchise.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Rotten Tomatoes

Terrifier 3 follows Sienna and her brother as they attempt to move past the traumatic events of Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre. As they embrace the Christmas season, Art reemerges, intent on turning their holiday into a nightmare, continuing his reign of terror.

Director

Damien Leone

Release Date

October 11, 2024

Writers

Damien Leone

Cast

Lauren LaVera , David Howard Thornton , Antonella Rose , Elliott Fullam , Samantha Scaffidi , Margaret Anne Florence , Bryce Johnson , Alexa Blair Robertson , Mason Mecartea , Krsy Fox , Luciana VanDette , Clint Howard , Bradley Stryker , Daniel Roebuck , Chris Jericho , Tom Savini , Jason Patric , Alex Ross , Kailey Hyman , Kellen Raffaelo , Lisa Marie Falcone , Stephen Cofield Jr. , Corrine Kelly , Joe Falcone , Peter Mitchell , Marie Maser , Jon Abrahams

Runtime

125 Minutes

Studio(s)

Dark Age Cinema , Fuzz on the Lens Productions

Distributor(s)

Cineverse

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