2024 feels like the year Art The Clown has really hit the mainstream. Terrifier 3 is getting solid reviews ahead of its theatrical release, and you can't walk into a Spirit Halloween without being met with a life-size animatronic of the slasher clown. None of it would be possible without the acclaimed previous movies, and as someone who needed to play catch up, I decided to check out Terrifier 2. Afterwards, I was shocked to see that the movie was as well-received as it was, thanks to one part that made zero sense.
Fair warning to those who haven't watched it yet: I will get into spoilers regarding Terrifier 2. I suggest those who haven't seen it check it out now if they have a Prime Video subscription, mainly because I want to know if I'm the only one with a major problem with the Little Pale Girl featured throughout the horror movie.
The Little Pale Girl Ruined The Movie For Me
It doesn't take long for the Little Pale Girl to arrive in Terrifier 2, as viewers are introduced to her not long after Art The Clown is resurrected. The performance itself by Amelie McLain is completely fine, so I just want to start out by saying none of what I'm about to discuss relates to her in the slightest. I'm more upset about the character itself and how consistently such an acclaimed horror movie repeatedly ignores the rules it sets for this character.
Of course, I also understand why people like CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg and many others gave Terrifier 2 favorable reviews. Ultimately, it's one of the goriest slasher movies on the market, and it does that part very well. So well, I think many people overlook the Little Pale Girl, though I simply couldn't and have to air some grievances about why she ruined the movie for me.
The Movie Introduces The Little Pale Girl, And Proceeds To Tell Us Nothing About Her
Little Pale Girl's first appearance in Terrifier 2 feels significant, and it's an incredibly well-done scene. Art is washing his clown suit in a laundromat when she appears, and the two proceed to laugh and play pat-a-cake while he waits for his clothes to be cleaned. A man who was sleeping at the entrance wakes up, and we see the scene from his perspective, and we see a naked Art playing pat-a-cake with the air.
I thought this scene was brilliant because it established that the Little Pale Girl existed in Art's mind, and for some reason, she resembled him. I wondered if she was an extended family member, like a child or even a victim of the murderer. There was a deeper story to be told about this little girl and her relationship to Art, and I was immediately locked in to hear more about her story and what she was about.
Unfortunately, Terrifier 2 isn't too interested in revealing anything about her, or tying her into the story. There is a scene that seems to hint she could be the daughter of a circus performer who was mysteriously killed, but it is only briefly touched on and never mentioned again.
I'd even argue that we know less about the character by the end of the movie than we might've assumed at the start of the adventure. She remains a big mystery to the point she's missing from the end of the movie until she retrieves Art's head, and there are no clear answers on who she is and if we'll ever see her again. It's not the kind of resolution I'd expect from a horror movie that barely missed our list of entries with a 90% critic score or above on Rotten Tomatoes, and it only got more frustrating the longer I thought about it.
She's Initially Shown As Imaginary, But Later Becomes Real?
In addition to providing zero explanation behind who the Little Pale Girl is, Terrifier 2 frequently breaks the rules it establishes about the character. As I mentioned, the opening scene she's in implies that she's a figment of Art's imagination, as she could only be seen by the killer clown.
Then, later in the movie, we get some pretty clear scenes that prove that both siblings, Sienna and Jonathan, can see her as well. At first, I thought perhaps it was possible the siblings were also one of a select few who could see this girl, and, it was going to play a part in the story. Unfortunately, Terrifier 2 goes back to killing and doesn't really address it again.
It drove me nuts when we got to the very end of the movie and it seems that Little Pale Girl has nothing at all to do with Art The Clown's return. Was she real, imaginary or just a manifestation of evil? It seems no one on the internet knows, and based on what I've read online, she's completely absent from the wonderfully gory Terrifier 3. How am I the only person frustrated by this?
Is Pale Girl An Homage To Nonsensical Twists In Classic Slasher Sequels?
As frustrated as I am, I think back to some of the best horror movies and the subpar sequels that followed them. For every Hellraiser or Friday The 13th, there's a sequel down the line that introduces some nonsensical twist that didn't live up to the original premise.
On some level, I have to think that the Little Pale Girl is an intentional nod to those twists in classic horror movies, especially with the reveal that she's absent from Terrifier 3. Maybe that's why the horror community is so forgiving of the sequels of franchises they hold dear. They're willing to look past the flaws in Terrifier 2 and prop it up despite the lack of answers surrounding the character.
Be sure to catch the upcoming horror movie Terrifier 3 when it comes out on Friday, October 11th. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend throughout the year as we chronicle the best in horror and what's next to theaters.
