Terrifier 2.Photo: Bloody Disgusting/Courtesy Everett Collection

TERRIFIER 2, David Howard Thornton, 2022

Reports of audience memberspassing out and vomiting at screenings for clown horror movieTerrifier 2appear to have increased the film’s performance at the box office.

Overall, the two-hour, 18 minute slasher — a sequel to its 2016 predecessor,Terrifier— has made $5,256 million at the domestic box office as it approaches its third week in theaters.

“Indie horror is alive and well,” the film’s writer-director,Damien Leone,wrote on Twitterlast Saturday amid news of the film’s continued box office performance.

Critics and audiences alike have praised the movie since its release;Terrifier 2carries an88% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while 85% of users who have seen it indicated they enjoyed the movie.

Last Thursday, author andITcreatorStephen Kingoffered histhoughts on the film on Twitter, writing thatTerrifier 2is “grossin' you out old-school.”

“Theguy behind me passed outcold n crashed into my chair, another guy left because he didn’t feel good, I overheard him say and walking out theatre door I heard a guy puking hard & loud in the bathroom,” one Twitter user wrote of the film on Oct. 7, calling it “an amazing gory mess.”

Another shared a photo from the theater that showed emergency personnel attending to an individual, writing, “My friend passed out and the theater called an ambulance. Highly recommended.”

Terrifier 2.Bloody Disgusting/Courtesy Everett Collection

TERRIFIER 2, David Howard Thornton, 2022.

In a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly, Leone admitted that he considers it “sort of a badge of honor” for the new film “to have a couple of walk-outs.” But he stressed, “I don’t want people fainting, getting hurt during the movie.”

“It’s surreal,” continued Leone. “Here’s the thing, it’s calledTerrifier 2, you should probably seeTerrifier 1before you jump into this one. If you seeTerrifier 1, you’d know what you’re getting into.”

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The filmmaker went on to say the team onTerrifier 2"tried to rival" a “notorious” scene in the first film “that everyone walks away talking about,” that involves a hacksaw.

“We tried to rival that scene [in the new film] because the really supportive fan base that we’ve had this entire time, that has really started to put [villain Art the Clown] on a pedestal,” he explained. “I mean, those are the things that they really want.”

“I think this movie is more accessible, but we’re essentially still making these movies for them, and if other people want to come on board, the more the merrier,” Leone added.

Damien Leone.Marion Curtis/StarPix/Shutterstock

Damien Leone (Director) New York Special Screneing of “Terrifier 2”,Regal Theaters Union Square, - 05 Oct 2022

He also addressed the reaction reports on Twitter, writing on Oct. 15: “To everyone saying that reports of people fainting and puking during screenings ofTerrifier 2 is a marketing ploy, I swear on the success of the film it is NOT.”

“These reports are 100% legit. I wish we were smart enough to think of that! 😋,” Leone wrote. “But then again we didn’t need to😉.”

Terrifier 2is in theaters now.

source: people.com