How ‘Terrifier 3’ Is Defending Its Final Girl: ‘Judge My Misogyny on That Character,’ Says Damien Leone

"If people are going to label me, I don't think I'm going to change their opinion," the filmmaker told IndieWire of accusations that his ultraviolent franchise is sexist.

Art the Clown may be the black-and-white bottom line behind the financial success of Damien Leone’s “Terrifier” movies, but Sienna Shaw is his favorite character.

“I think she’s one of the most multidimensional, powerful, and empowering final girls that we’ve seen,” the filmmaker told IndieWire. “And a lot of that is because of what Lauren LaVera brings to the role — the humanity she brings to it, the strength she brings to it.” (Read IndieWire’s review of “Terrifier 3.”)

A traumatized 20-something fighting a killer clown for the second time, Sienna was inspired by several women in Leone’s life. The “Terrifier 3” writer/director was raised by a single mom and older sisters, who stoked his passion for special effects makeup. That childhood obsession is what made the “Terrifier” franchise into a runaway success and is partly why Leone says he can only laugh when denying claims that his movies are sexist.

“I don’t think it’s a funny matter, but it’s so not me that I do find it kind of hilarious,” said Leone. “It’s also a trope that I grew up loving. The Final Girl is such a powerful element to these movies, and I don’t think it’s as impactful if it’s a Final Man. Men are just more reprehensible in general, and you’re already used to seeing them die [in other genres].”

With his second sequel (also Christmas-themed), Leone ramps up Art’s already-notorious appetite for ultraviolence, putting Sienna through her most hellish encounter yet. It’s a gender-inclusive affair, but “Terrifier 3” is still divisive online. Ahead of the film’s premiere on October 11 — it’s projected to wreck “Joker: Folie à Deux” at the box office — the controversial gore fest showed at Sitges Film Festival. Shortly after, a heartwarming clip of a fan interaction from the screening went viral.

“This 10-year-old girl, who was obsessed with Sienna, there’s this beautiful video as the movie is ending where she is just full-on hugging Lauren LaVera,” Leone said. “Like hysterical crying. She might as well have been meeting Taylor Swift.”

“Her mother told me Sienna was her favorite character of all time,” LaVera wrote on X. “This is what movies did for me, and it’s why I do my job. She’ll have a piece of my heart now forever.”

Leone said nothing of the parenting decisions that caused someone to show a child one of the most viscerally upsetting movies in horror history, but he noted that his films have a deceptively wide reach. Attending horror conventions globally with star David Howard Thornton (aka Art himself), Leone said he’s discovered genre fans of all kinds.

“Every age, every gender, you name it, we’re always so surprised,” said the gonzo creative. “We’ll see an old couple and think they’re there for their grandchild, and they’re like, ‘No, no, no! We love these movies; we love this clown!’ And we’re like, ‘OK?! How is that possible?’”

Leone continued, “People think only vile, repulsive people watch these things, and it’s not true at all. It’s people who are often very passive, and they’re trying to find ways to deal with the horrors of reality. That’s why the horror movie is a multi-billion-dollar industry.”

Plenty of filmmakers stare evil in the face without showing in detail how to rip someone else’s off — but Leone still defends extreme gore as essential to the experience he’s making. After all, testing the limits of taste helped the microbudget “Terrifier” break out in 2016 by offering an indie with exploitative grindhouse horror not available anywhere else.

“When I was making the first ‘Terrifier,’ we only had $35,000, and I would say to myself, ‘Why on Earth would a horror fan come watch my $35,000 horror movie when they can watch the biggest $20 million horror movie?’” said Leone. “So I said, ‘You know what? I’ll show them things that they could never see in a Hollywood R-rated movie. Really leaning into the exploitation and really trying to push the boundaries because horror fans love seeing things that they’ve never seen before.”

The first film was too disturbing for the MPA to assess, and while “Terrifier 2” (which introduced the character of Sienna) was officially rated R, “Terrifier 3” is back to being unrated. Leone said they can’t turn their back on the extremeness “Terrifier” is known for now — and he wouldn’t want to — but that’s made following his final girl’s story even more rewarding for the right people.

“Horror is an extension of humanity,” said Leone. “It’s something we try to deal with and process in many ways, and a really violent horror movie is just one particular medium that we use to express that… [‘Terrifier’ fans] just really love to step over the line and open the door a little wider to see if they can handle what’s behind it.”

With “Terrifier 4” already confirmed, and the possibility of more installments beyond that, Leone knows where Sienna’s story is heading — he’s just not sure how long that journey will take. To say nothing of whether his Final Girl survives this sequel, the filmmaker insists his team is “always raising the stakes,” and they’ve got an “epic and very satisfying” conclusion in mind. The rest of the discourse, he says, will resolve in time.

“I could try my best to convince people, but if people are going to label me then I don’t think I’m going to change their opinion,” said Leone. “I just have to be happy with the truth. And I think that when all this smoke clears, Sienna will be standing as this very strong character regardless of gender. People should judge my misogyny on that character.”

“Terrifier 3” premiered at Fantastic Fest 2024. It’s in theaters October 11 and expected to debut on streaming with Screambox in 2025.