Terrifier 3 may be unrated in the US, but some parents have used that as an excuse to take their kids to see it – and fans are worried they’ll be “traumatized.”
When I was seven years old, I watched Scream with my brother. Obliviously, I watched a young Drew Barrymore make popcorn, not aware of the terror that’d inflict a week of nightmares on me about 10 minutes later. Now, I know it’s one of the best horror movies of all time (even though I cried at the time).
Exposing kids to scary and more adult-oriented films can be a good thing: it builds up their tolerance, makes them feel more mature, and they often become memories for life.
However, there is a line, and Terrifier 3 is way beyond it. This is a film where the killer – a horrifying clown – degloves a man’s head, chainsaws a man from crotch to skull, and bludgeons a child to death. And that’s all before we get to Vicky’s glass shard scene (*shudders*).
Terrifier 3’s age rating is a bit complicated. It’s not NC-17, nor is it R-rated – it’s unrated, meaning anyone under the age of 17 will almost definitely be able to see it if they’re accompanied by an adult.
Parents take their kids to R-rated movies all the time (families across the country went to see Deadpool & Wolverine together). But horror fans have expressed concern after seeing children at Terrifier 3 screenings.
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“It’s one thing to take a kid to see a PG gateway horror film. It’s another to take a kid to see a f**king Terrifier film. WTF?” one user wrote, while another commented: “I bet if the kid has nightmares for the next month it’ll be the cinema’s fault too because the parents are too stupid to realize they f**ked up.”
“Terrifier 2 was gorier, but the opening scene of Terrifier 3 would be way more traumatizing to a kid,” a third wrote. “I honestly couldn’t have enjoyed this movie if I had to sit there with young kids being traumatized around me,” a fourth added.
“Terrifier?!? What the actual everloving f**k is wrong with some parents? I’m pretty lax about what I’ll let my kids watch… but Terrifier?? That’s a bridge and a highway and an entire continent too far for me,” a fifth commented.
For more of the most terrifying films on screen, check out our guide to all the other 2024 horror movies to get excited about. You can also find out why it’s a good thing Terrifier 4 might be the last movie, and take a look at all the other new movies out this month.
