Thehorror genreseems to be in a particularly good place as of late, and though it’s impossible to point to a single director and say “Yep, it’s them; they’re the sole reason for it,” there are certain individuals who’ve been playing a significant role in horror shining.Filmmakers likeAri Aster,Jordan Peele,andRobert Eggershave been reshaping and revolutionizing the genre on increasingly large scales, while someone likeDamien Leonehas – at least for now – put his stamp on the horror genre at an independent level. And, to be fair, his films have been increasing in scale and ambition, too.
Most of Leone’s films to date featurethe infamous Art the Clownin some capacity, all are horror movies, and each of them contains sequences of grisly violence pulled off largely with practical effects. That is to say that the filmography of Damien Leone might not be for everyone, butpushing boundaries and provocation are worth celebrating when there’s clear technical craft on offer. Including some misfires before working up to some modern-day splatter classics, below is a ranking of every feature film Leone has directed so far.
5’Frankenstein vs. The Mummy’ (2015)
Starring: Max Rhyser, Ashton Leigh, Boomer Tibbs
Frankenstein vs. The Mummyis both the most obscure film made by Damien Leone and the director’s worst overall. It could charitably be described as a modern-day take on iconic monsters whose legacy goes back decades, to the 1930s and 1940s, and monsters who themselves sometimes had crossovers,likeFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man(1943). Frankenstein’s monster was more of a fixture in these “vs.” or “Meet” movies, whereasThe Mummywas mostly self-contained as a classic series, though there wasAbbott and Costello Meet the Mummyin 1955.
Anyway, ifFrankenstein vs. The Mummywas a little better, it could be a worthwhile long-awaited versus movie, but it just falls apart outside some costumes that aren’t bad for something low budget, and occasional sequences that show decent gore-related special effects. The story itself is overlong and kind of tedious, with the film being almost two hours, the result of which it’s hard to care once the final titular fight finally rolls around. If you’re absolutely starved for movies featuring the Mummy and/orFrankenstein’s monsteranddon’t mind something that looks like it was made for about $43, maybe you’ll find some enjoyment. Otherwise, it’s best to steer clear.
Frankenstein vs. The Mummy
4’Terrifier' (2016)
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi
WithFrankenstein vs. The Mummyout of the way, things get a little more interesting now, with the remaining Damien Leone moviesall featuring Art the Clownin some capacity. 2016’sTerrifierended up being an introduction to the character for many, as though it wasn’t his debut,Terrifierdid gain more attention than any previous Art-related movies, and it wasDavid Howard Thornton’s first time playing the character (Mike Giannelliplayed Art previously). As such, it’s convenient enough to point out thatFrankenstein vs. The Mummyis both Art-less and, as Leone’s worst film, also kind of artless.
This originalTerrifieris lacking compared to its sequels, though.It delivers sickening goreand Art the Clown makes an impression, but it’s still pretty barebones as a film, with very little narrative and no real characters who prove memorable outside the main villain.It’s an entirely stripped-back slasher movie that shows promise when it comes to things like style and the villain, but it’s also rough around the edges and does get repetitive at a point. Approach as an extremely blunt andno-nonsense horror movie about bloodshed and savagery, it kind of works, but you have to be prepared for something one-note.
3’All Hallow’s Eve' (2013)
Starring: Katie Maguire, Catherine A. Callahan, Mike Giannelli
In contrast toTerrifier,All Hallow’s Eveisn’t quite so one-note, but is a bit less consistent. Its highs are perhaps a little more interesting than Terrifier’s, but its lows areFrankenstein vs. The Mummy-esque. This is largely because it’s an anthology movie, and it saves what’s easily its best segment for last. The second segment is laughably bad (itinvolves an awkward sci-fi spin), while the first segment is just okay. The framing device is interesting enough, following the watching of a potentially cursed tape, with each segment the viewers see being watched by one or more characters.
That framing device ends up being its own story, taking into account the prologue and epilogue inAll Hallow’s Eve, and the film as a whole begins and ends interestingly enough. That means the whole film can be broken down as being part decent, and part not very good, but there’s also some charm there that might be lacking in Leone’s other early films. No one’s going to call itan all-time great horror anthology movie,but it was a solid enough way to work some short films into a feature film, and there are parts ofAll Hallow’s Evethat end up working quite well.
All Hallow’s Eve
Watch on Shudder
2’Terrifier 2' (2022)
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam
One of the best thingsthatTerrifier 2does, as a sequel, is give the villainous Art the Clowna properly memorable heroine to battle. Some of the side characters here feel disposable in a way that shouldn’t be unfamiliar to anyone who’s seen their fair share of slasher movies, but a teenage girl named Sienna proves memorable and a genuine threat to Art. And her fighting against Art to protect her family is a reason to care somewhat about everything going on here. The shocking violence still steals the show, but there’s a little more here which ends up going a long way.
Well, saying a “little” more isn’t entirely accurate whenTerrifier 2goes for well over two hours. It’s a big and at times kind of unwieldy horror movie, but it’s also unique for being low-budget and surprisingly epic (or close to it) at the same time.And it’s a gnarly watch, withTerrifier 2being one of the most brutal horror movies in recent years, and maybe also one of the better horror films of the 2020s so far. It works for the most part and satisfies on a whole other level compared to the first (still decent)Terrifier.
Terrifier 2
1’Terrifier 3' (2024)
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Daniel Roebuck
The first twoTerrifiermovies worked as Halloween films, as didAll Hallow’s Eve, withTerrifier 3mixing things up a bitby being a Christmas movie(albeit one that can still be enjoyed around Halloween). It brings back a couple of noteworthy survivors from Terrifier 2 and feels like a fitting continuation of the story that was told there, effectively raising the stakes,upping the extremity of the violence, andcontinuing to push certain boundariesfor better or worse.
Terrifier 3is a gutsy film in more ways than one, and is probably the grisliest and most hectic Damien Leone movie yet… but is alsohis most successful financiallyby a comfortable margin, so there is certainly an audience for his brand of horror.Terrifier 3might still be niche in the overall scheme of things, but it’s the third movie in a series that is a go-to one for anyone after some extra extremity in the horror flicks they watch. It’scertainly the bestTerrifierto date, and time will tell whether it can be topped bya currently planned fourth movie.
Terrifier 3
Watch in theaters
