The Man Who Brought You Terrifier’s Art the Clown Has a Christmas Nightmare for You, Too

Thornton, who recently donned a Santa’s suit in Terrifier 3, took on another iconic Christmas character in Steven LaMorte’s 2022 horror flick, The Mean One. The film, which is a brutal parody of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, follows Cindy You-Know-Who (Krystle Martin) who returns to her hometown of Newville 20 years after witnessing the murder of her mother. Hoping to find closure while spending Christmas with her father, Cindy reunites with the green-skinned creature from her childhood as reality blurs between nightmares and real life. But instead of this Grinch-inspired character just stealing Christmas presents and decorations, the Mean One goes on a murderous rampage, killing several of the town’s residents out of his hate for the holiday season.

David Howard Thornton Gives an Oustanding Performance as the Killer Grinch

Much like his portrayal of Art the Clown, Thornton steals the show in The Mean One despite having no dialogue and limited screen time. Thornton’s performance, which is a perfect blend of dark humor and violence, showcases his serious skills in facial expressions and physical comedy. What makes Thornton’s portrayal so effective is its striking similarity to Jim Carrey’s performance in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which is perhaps the most iconic performance of the green meanie to date. His over-the-top movements are quite similar to Carrey’s goofy, exaggerated mannerisms, capturing that same whimsical energy. In one scene, the Mean One pulls out a life-size candy cane from his belt and cartoonishly twirls it around his head. He then grabs a man by the neck with it, slamming his face into a table. This moment is a callback to Jim Carrey’s Grinch who similarly uses a candy cane to yank a Who away from playing a horn on Mount Crumpit.

However, Thornton takes Carrey’s playful tone and this harmless Christmas story and twists it into a violent, shocking massacre. The Mean One uses candy canes for stabbing, Christmas lights for strangling, and ornaments for impaling. Even though Thornton has no dialogue in the film, he also uses his background in voice acting to create menacing snarls that echo through his rotten teeth.

But The Mean One was not David Howard Thornton’s first time playing the Grinch. In an interview with Cinefied, Thornton revealed that unbeknownst to those who cast him as the Mean One, he actually toured with the national tour of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical for five years as the understudy for Stefán Karl’s Grinch. He also played the role of other Whoville characters in the production. The Mean One should have included more scenes with Thornton as his background no doubt helped him perfect the portrayal and make this character come to life.

How Does The Mean One Compare to Art the Clown?

David Howard Thornton is best known for his iconic role as Art the Clown in the Terrifier franchise. But how does his performance as a crazed clown differ from that of the classic Christmas character? Both horror characters share many similarities, particularly with Thornton’s excellent use of physical comedy. Even in moments where only The Mean One’s curled fingers or Art the Clown’s bloodied hands are visible, every gesture is intentional and expressive, bringing personality to the story.

With Terrifer 3 taking place during the holiday season, it further highlights the similarities between the two characters. In the third installment of Damien Leone’s franchise, Art stumbles upon a Santa Claus impersonator at a bar. After brutally killing the man, he dons the Santa costume and continues his murderous spree. Both Art and The Mean One creatively use seasonal decorations as murder weapons, adding a dark twist to the typical holiday cheer. It appears as if Thornton has mastered the holiday homicide genre, and has plenty of fun doing it.

However, while Thornton's portrayal of The Mean One is what makes the film watchable, more of his personality shines through in the Terrifier series. He can go from maniacally laughing to an expressionless face in just seconds. No matter how unpleasant a gory kill on screen can be, it is such a joy to see Art the Clown pop up because he feels like Thornton’s passion project. Art is a character that he has poured his heart and energy into both on-screen and off, as seen in his realistic interactions with fans at conventions.

'The Mean One' Is a Perfect Horror Watch for the Holiday Season

Though The Mean One is clearly low-budget and is a bit dry and hard to follow at times, it is still a fun watch, especially with a group of friends. Watching Thornton in The Mean One feels like you are watching a twisted combination of Jim Carrey’s Grinch and Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice, where humor quickly turns to horror. As Thornton describes himself, the movie also feels like the Hallmark channel taking a swing at horror instead of romance, although there is some romantic tension between Cindy and a local police officer.

It is also fun for viewers to search for Dr. Seuss-related Easter eggs, which are planted throughout the entirety of the film. There is a shot that zooms in on a fish tank with one red fish and one blue one, a sign showing a cat with a Christmas hat, and numerous characters with names inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas and other Dr. Seuss stories. Although The Mean One does not measure up to other Christmas horror films like Black Christmas or even Krampus, it is a humorous holiday watch fueled by David Howard Thornton’s acting.

The Mean One is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

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