The following contains spoilers for Terrifier 2, now playing in theaters.
The horror genre -- and slasher films from Halloween to Terrifier, in particular -- have long been the subject of debate and criticism among segments of the pop-culture discourse due to their explicit depiction of violence. A recurring element in these pro-censorship style attacks is the assertion that the consumption or enjoyment of art that depicts violence (or generally obscene subject matter) has a direct correlation to the enactment of real-life violence or obscenity. Furthermore, those crying foul in regard to the content of slasher films have suggested that those who actively participate in the appreciation of a genre that forefronts gore as an aesthetic device must have some inherently disturbing nature.
Terrifier 2 and its predecessor, Terrifier, undoubtedly top the list when it comes to gruesome depictions of gore. Both films are often unrelentingly violent and disturbing. As such, in almost in an almost preemptive turn, director Damien Leone addresses these common criticisms head-on in his franchise’s second entry, using the character of Jonathan Shaw.
Terrifier 2's Jonathan Has a Fascination With the Morbid
The younger brother of heroine and final girl Sienna Shaw, Jonathan (endearingly portrayed by Elliott Fullam) acts as an in-world rejoinder to the misapplied treatise on the supposedly shaky moral constitution of horror and slasher frequenters. Jonathan is initially depicted as being drawn to violent material, namely an obsession with the murderous Miles County mime himself, Art the Clown. On top of a fascination with the grease-painted killer’s previous massacre, Jonathan seems to have a predilection for morbidity. He brings up Nazi-era experimentation over a family meal, seems generally fascinated with true crime and has doom metal band posters adorning his walls.
Evidenced in an early sequence involving a dead opossum, his peers seem to think his attraction to blood and guts must extend beyond the confines of his computer screen. His mother and school teachers also appear increasingly concerned that he is disturbed and unruly, thanks to his less-than-social sources of interest. Even his sister makes an early suggestion that he might be capable of violence early in the course of the film. And the audience is left to wonder if something sinister lurks behind Jonathan’s unassuming appearance.
Jonathan Is Proven To Be Morally Upstanding in Terrifier 2
Leone then proceeds to turn the tables on the characters surrounding Jonathan and the audience that implicitly condemns him as a latent psychotic in equal measure. Over the course of Terrifier 2’s runtime, Jonathan is shown to be the opposite. He is highly empathetic, honest and brave. Even in the opossum scene, early in the film, Jonathan is in visible distress at the state of the dead animal. He makes a concerted effort to prevent another classmate from being exposed to the considerably disturbing carcass and is recognizably remorseful after she witnesses the micro-dose of carnage.
Jonathan is also the first to warn Sienna about the possible return of the seemingly immortal Art the Clown. His submersion in the glut of information with regard to the deadly jester is less an obsessive captivation and more a protective reflex. As such, Jonathan expresses considerable and demonstrative concern for his sister’s safety under the possibility of Art’s looming threat. Additionally, Jonathan is deeply hurt by his mother’s periodic belief that he could be capable of inflicting harm and grand-scale dishonesty. His interests may border on the weird rather than quirky, but the junior Shaw is a glowing example of decency.
Terrifier 2's Jonathan, Like Most Horror Fans, Is a Genuinely Good Person
Most consequentially, though (after proving his bona fides as a genuinely good kid), Jonathan goes out of his way to try and save his older sister in the climax at a great personal cost. He throws himself into the proverbial line of fire, taking blows on his sibling's behalf despite having already been drugged and beaten. The adolescent metal fan doesn’t think twice about putting himself in danger, and not once does he seem to glean joy from the violence his sister is being forced to endure. Jonathan serves as a cipher for slasher-lovers en masse. His moral fortitude, emotional intelligence and courageous actions flout the contention that enjoying violent (or even disturbing media) throws any fright addict’s principles or scruples into question.
Like many horror fans and slasher “stans," Jonathan’s intrigue with the darker sides of the world comes from trying to reconcile the immense pain of life experience with the gentle decency that resides inside his heart. The difficulty of operating from a place of kindness under the fist of an often harsh world is one that plenty of horror devotees know all too well. Jonathan's persistent attempt to do just that in the face of unrelenting evil makes him a hero worth rooting for, Terrifier 2 fan or not.
See Jonathan Shaw be an outstanding horror fan in Terrifier 2, now available in theaters.