Terrifier 3 director says the movie's most hilarious moment that everyone is loving was actually improvised

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Art is just clowning around

David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown in Terrifier 3
(Image credit: Screambox / Cineverse / Bloody Disgusting)

Terrifier 3 is shocking moviegoers around the globe with its brutal kills and simply barbaric finale. But one of the best horror movies of the year’s last showdown is lightened by a hilarious moment that fans cannot get over, which director Damien Leone says was actually improvised. 

Warning, the following article contains spoilers for Terrifier 3, so make sure to watch the film before reading on. But before you head to theaters, read our verdict on the new horror film in our Terrifier 3 review.  

At the end of the movie, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) has final girl Sienna (Lauren LaVera) tied up to a chair, forcing her to watch himself and the demonically possessed Victoria hurt her aunt. But the disturbing scene is making fans laugh out loud in theaters as in between conducting medieval torture methods, he keeps comically slapping her on the back of the head. 

However, as funny as it may be, Leone says it was completely improvised. "This was something I spontaneously told David to do on set every time he passed Lauren because I felt the finale was too dark and we needed some levity," said Leone via Twitter. "Glad we share the same twisted sense of humor." See the full post below. 

Well, it looks like that last-minute addition of comic relief worked as fans cannot get enough and have been reacting to the scene on Twitter since the movie dropped on October 11. "THAT SLAP WAS TOO FUNNY LMAO," said one fan, another added, "got my whole theater hollering when he kept doing that." See more reactions below.

The third installment swaps Art the Clown’s usual reign of terror on Halloween night for the Christmas period as the clown suits up as Santa Claus and wreaks havoc on Miles County once again. Alongside LaVera and Howard Thornton, returning cast members include Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria and Elliot Fulham as Jonathan Shaw.

Terrifier 3 is out in theaters now. For more on Terrifer 3, check out our interviews with the director on including children in the threequel, the importance of fan support, and future Terrifier movies, or see our talk with star David Howard Thornton on how he made Art the Clown scarier than ever and why he wants to play The Joker next. Or keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year.

Megan Garside
Megan Garside
Junior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.