A Classic “Switch Your Brain Off” GoreFest
The end of 2021 brought us some slasher films like Malignant and Halloween Kills, as well as a great start to 2022 with Scream, and more slashers on the way like Jeepers Creepers Reborn, Halloween Ends (eagerly excited for) and Terrifier 2 (David Howard Thornton as Art is amazing). And so the next contender on the list to steal the spotlight until otherwise is (drumroll please)… Leatherface! The face (or the face he is wearing) of madness returns in this legacy sequel to the original! A new cast, an old survivor, and a bloodthirsty killer wearing an apron and tie, wielding a chainsaw. (Need I say more?)
The Standard Scenario
After nearly 50 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town. The plot of the movie is basic, as with many of the TCM films that have come before – nothing complex or narrative-driven, just standard slashing. The filming location of the movie was really good and very creepy, and the cinematography of the movie was decently done.
Bubba is Back Baby!
We’d seen Michael, Ghostface, and Chucky in action before, so it was about time to see Bubba back on the big screen. Actually, you feel sorry for him in this movie. He isn’t just murdering people for the purpose of removing their faces and wearing them as masks. This time, it’s all about vengeance. I had no idea how much I’d enjoy a Leatherface portrayal that essentially depicts him as an enraged boomer attacking a group of entitled zoomers, but here we are.
There is a moment in which Leatherface shows his genuine emotions of how he feels about today’s youth and cancel culture that really got me into this film. Then I loved how the original slasher resurrected all of his old moves, like an elderly wrestler returning to the ring for a one-time payday. There were a lot of scenes that were shot exactly as they were in the original film. This version of Leatherface is probably one of the best I’ve seen; it’s almost clever at times and visually impressive. Mark Burnham plays Leatherface perfectly.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
Chainsaws and Carnage
Nothing in this movie is more thrilling than seeing that iconic, rusted, blood-covered yellow chainsaw – it’s pure bliss. As if cutting butter with a hot knife (or rather a rotating blade through poor unsuspecting rich folk). In this film, Leatherface slices, dices, chops, and beheads a large number of people (possibly the highest kill count out of all of the series). The special (and blood) effects are incredible – something I believe was lacking in the original! There was plenty of violence, mayhem, bloodshed, and gore in this film, so a gorehound like me was more than satisfied. The scene inside the bus in particular was breathtaking. Who doesn’t enjoy watching a maniac slaughter a group of hipsters while wearing an old lady’s face as a skin mask? I’m sure I did.
The Legacy Formula
Seeing as this is a sequel to the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you get quite a bit of nostalgia sneaking around the Texan environment. The original final girl, Sally, comes back with a vendetta against the skin-wearing maniac. Does she have a great influence on the story? Not exactly. Her character does feel a little shoehorned into the story just so it can be connected to the original. However, that doesn’t mean her character isn’t a great one. Having Leatherface be the same person who has been in hiding for the past 50 years mirrors Micheal Myers in a way – whilst maybe not the most original idea, it sure does make for a nice little reveal when you first see his silhouette.
Names, places and other notable easter eggs are scattered throughout this flick, such as Sally repeating her laugh from the original (which I never really properly understood), Leatherface putting makeup on his skin mask (homage to the pretty lady mask), the mentioning of the victims from the original film (Franklin, Kirk, Pamela and Jerry) and of course, the little dance that Leatherface does, done again in the modern age (a little boogie with a chainsaw for the sake of it). I do think the biggest callback of all is at the end: the Sawyer farmhouse (I kid you not, I gasped).
The Downside
As with a lot of horrors, there are ultimately flaws, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre does rack up a few sadly (which, depending on your views, will be the deciding factor on whether you like or don’t like this movie. The main issue I think most can agree on is the acting from some of the characters – or rather, some of the characters themselves). The characters are not really likeable, to say the least; the connection to the original is quite thin; and most horror fans may not like the fact that our killer has a motive here. Alongside that, the runtime felt very short; though similar pacing to the original film, it could have been done with some extra time. And the last 10 or 15 mins get a little stupid. Impossible things happen. It’s always annoying when they bend the rules of physics.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
My Overall Thoughts on Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
This legacy instalment of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre brings the elements that make all of the films before unique. It’s got the eerie location, it’s got the gore, it’s got stereotypical characters, and of course, it has Leatherface. Whilst the story isn’t as rich or complex as other slashers that have come out recently such as Halloween Kills and Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a great “switch your brain off” gorefest with some fairly satisfying kills and chainsaw action that’ll get you routing for Bubba Sawyer in no time.
With this type of film, rather than listening to what I think, it’s best to watch it for yourself and see how you feel. You might like it, you might hate it – you’ll never know until you watch it! Know what to expect, get exactly that and be entertained (otherwise you’ll probably regret watching this). And let me know your opinion in the comments!
Looking for more horror to binge on? Why not have read my review for The Runner (alongside The Rocky Horror Show) in a double feature like no other. Or perhaps you’re looking for something more toned down and grounded? How about having a read of my review for Nightmare Alley, a noir thriller. In terms of thriller/horror series’, I’ve also reviewed Netflix’s Archive 81.
