Starring Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt, Kailey Hyman, Casey Harnett, David Howard Thornton and Samantha Scaffidi

Directed by Damien Leone

In cinemas now

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the timid town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.

Writer/director Damien Leone’s follow-up to his 2016 Terrifier has been generating a lot of buzz for its gory scenes, with audience members reportedly walking out in droves. And based on what’s on display, it’s easy to see why.

Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) first appeared in the director’s short films The 9th Circle (2008) and Terrifier (2011), before featuring in 2013’s anthology All Hallow’s Eve. He’s a silent clown, with hat perched impossibly on the side of his head, sporting a rictus grin. His MO is ripping people apart, with a particular fondness of pulling out eyes. And that’s about it.

Pennywise, Art ain’t, Stephen King’s clown villain having a clever wit, while this movie’s baddy is just brutal. He kills and kills, but there’s little ingenuity in the deaths. It’s like watching an explosion in an abattoir, as gallons of blood spray across the screen and limbs fly about. Of the young cast, Lauren LaVera and Elliott Fullam are engaging as siblings Sienna and Jonathan, but everyone else is just cannon fodder in this ridiculously long film which clocks in at 138 minute

Verdict: Coulrophobes will swerve this – the stuff of their nightmares – though gorehounds won’t feel shortchanged in the blood and guts department. But there’s little tension or invention, proving that it’s not enough just to be extreme. 6/10

Nick Joy