Terrifier 2's Damien Leone Explains The True Meaning Of The Clown Cafe Sequence

One of the buzziest movies to come out of 2022 was, funnily enough, about a killer clown. No, not that one. 

Instead, "Terrifier 2" turned its attention to the deadly Art the Clown. Despite the fact the character died in the first movie, that's never enough to keep a good horror film villain down. He's resurrected and brings his unique brand of violence to anyone who's unfortunate enough to get too close by. It was a bloody good time, to the point where many people reported having medical problems while watching it. It led to decent word of mouth, to the point where the film ended up doing pretty well at the box office.

As a result, "Terrifier 3" is next on the menu, but for now, there's still plenty in "Terrifier 2" for people to sink their teeth into. The commentary track for the film just came out, and Bloody Disgusting broke down some of the biggest points to take away, including what's really going on in the cryptic Clown Cafe sequence.

The Clown Cafe scene does more than merely introduce a catchy earworm into your subconscious. According to director Damien Leone, it signifies how Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is the only one who can take down Art the Clown. For those who haven't seen the movie, or blocked this particular scene from your memory seeing how it's pretty gruesome, it ends with Sienna pulling a sword out of a cereal box that she uses to deflect an attack from Art's flamethrower. 

This is more than just a weird dream where she'll die in real life if she dies in the sequence. Leone describes it as "a divine test that manifests itself within Sienna's subconscious." He goes on to point out how there are benevolent forces that want Sienna to defeat Art, but she must first prove herself. He later states, "If she's not courageous at the end and doesn't decide to fight back against Art, then she will not be the one."

It turns out there's a lot of symbolism packed into that one scene. There are people with luggage, seeming like they're ready to board a flight, and Leone connects that with Sienna's wings. She herself has to go on a "metaphysical journey" to be worthy of killing Art. Does she accomplish it? You'll have to watch the brutal movie to find out.