Editor’s Note: We are honored and excited that Podcaster and Author of “Millennial Nasties” (buy here, do it!) Ariel Powers-Schaub shared this unique perspective on the infamous “Clown Cafe” scene in “Terrifier 2.” If you have an interesting take or opinion you’d like to contribute, please use the Contact Form and reach out. And now, Ariel Powers-Schaub!

"Feeding Sienna's Grief In The Clown Cafe"

In Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2 (2022), audiences were treated to a trip to a brand-new restaurant: the Clown Cafe. Audiences were immediately drawn to this unique set piece - what could it mean? Leone clarified in the Blu-ray commentary track that the Clown Cafe scene in Terrifier 2 is more than a dream sequence, it’s a test of might for Sienna. Like an Arthurian legend, she must pull the sword from the stone, or cereal box, and prove she can be a worthy opponent of Art the Clown. But the Clown Cafe is a layer cake of meaning, and there are more flavors to discover. In the Clown Cafe, the comfort and joy of food has been turned on its head, bastardized, into something horrible and dangerous, and no one seems to be acknowledging it but Sienna. Something once comforting and fun has become terrifying to Sienna. This offers a clear picture of how Sienna’s grief has isolated her from her world, and her depression has sapped the joy from things she previously loved.

Sienna is grieving her father, who recently passed. She was close to him, and they shared a love of creating art. When her father died abruptly and tragically, after his mental health declined, Sienna was understandably devastated. Her situational grief threw her into a longer-term depression, which she needs psychiatric help to deal with. None of this is outside the realm of what could be expected. It’s a completely normal reaction for a kid who loses a parent. Sienna prides herself on keeping her emotions bottled up - she says to her mom, in a discussion about her brother Jonathan, “You don’t see me crying out for attention.” But those emotions have to go somewhere. And in this case, they got pushed into Sienna’s Clown Cafe vision.

One of the diagnostic criteria of depression is loss of interest in things that previously brought joy. Sienna’s lost joy is presented through the behaviors of the kids in the Clown Cafe. Sienna is surrounded by happy kids her age, seemingly enjoying their playtime and snacks. They act much younger than she does - they are dressed like children, playing on a playground they are too big for, and laughing along to a silly song. Though they seem to be the same age as Sienna, the loss of her father has forced her into an early adulthood she didn’t ask for. She has to be more mature; she has no choice. Still, she tries to fit in, with her pigtail braids and brightly-colored clothes offering the illusion that she is as playful as the other kids. But nothing can hide the terror and confusion on her face. She no longer belongs in the world of innocence, she had to leave that behind.

Even the treats have become scary. The other children are enjoying popcorn, candy, and caramel apples, but Sienna looks on in disgust. Even if she’s not sure why, something about the scene is off-putting. The kids are devouring their delicacies like wild animals. When Sienna might get to join in, she’s instead given a beating heart in a box. Once again she finds herself unable to enjoy what others around her are relishing. In the Clown Cafe, the innocent pleasure of sugary breakfast cereal with a surprise inside is perverted - the sweet breakfast delight is now harmful, and disgusting, and the prize is for surviving, setting Sienna off on a deadly quest.

The most memorable aspect of the Clown Cafe is the song. A charming clown - specifically not Art the Clown - plays a banjo and sings an upbeat jingle about the cafe. The song seems cute, until you listen closely to the lyrics. The clown smiles and sings with glee that “the menu is disgusting” and “nothing here is good for you.” The mismatch between the pleasant tone of the song and the jarring lyrics showcases the juxtaposition between how Sienna thinks she’s supposed to feel versus how she actually feels. Things that seem jubilant and fun to others, like snacks from the Clown Cafe, make her feel anxious and upset. The food isn't nurturing, or evening bringing joy, it’s hurting her, rotting her from the inside out, like her tamped-down emotions. Until she can process her grief and depression, she will have a more difficult time enjoying simple pleasures with friends.

All the while, in the background, a nun is ringing a bell and yelling next to a man who appears destitute. The man sits quietly, and with a sense of melancholy, while the nun becomes more aggressive and demanding. She shouts, “Won’t anyone feed this man? He’s so hungry!” Sienna sees this, and sees everyone around her enjoying their snacks, plus a long line of customers lining up to the food truck. Everyone in the Clown Cafe has food or is planning to buy some, and no one is helping the hungriest person. Sienna notices that someone is in need of help, but no one is helping. This tableau represents how distracting it can be, when you have depression, that you know others have it worse than you. Sienna is scared and sad, but she has a home, enough food, and a family. She tries to convince herself that she’s fine, she doesn’t need any help, and besides, others have it worse than she does. That’s a common thought for someone in the throes of depression. When really, Sienna is allowed to feel her grief and depression, and even though she has basic needs met, she may need help sometimes, too.

Like her father’s death did, the Clown Cafe marks a turning point in Sienna’s life. After she challenges Art in the Clown Cafe, she can’t turn away from the mission she’s been handed. Her life will never be the same after her father’s death, nor will it ever be the same after Art takes his toll. But as Sienna faces Art head-on, and never gives up, she can surely work through her grief, and one day enjoy simple pleasures again.