TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)
Why do we love horror? That's a complicated question with a multifaceted answer. Depending on who you ask you'll likely get different answers. For this case, we're going to focus on one particular answer: The Villains. Horror has the honor of having perhaps the largest cast of villains of any genre, a striking imbalance in the hero/villain ratio. Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, Im-Ho-Tep, the Blind Dead Templars, Dr. Freudstein, and countless more. And usually these villains and monsters are infinitely more interesting than the protagonists... mostly.
I'm going to go out on a limb and speak for some of us saying that we watch certain horror movies to see our favorite villains do what they do best: wreak unholy mayhem and terror!
When I first entered the world of modern horror, it began with the Mount Rushmore of horror icons: Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Leatherface. I remember it like it was yesterday when my mother staged my first intervention; I was in junior high and had told my mom that I wanted The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original) for Christmas. Her response: "Son, sit down. We need to have a talk." Clearly I took a lot from that talk...
Leatherface has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I started with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, back when there was only three in the series. I remember when Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation came out, being super stoked to see it, and subsequently disappointed beyond belief. I remember dragging my friends to the 2003 remake and the 2006 prequel (and loving both! Well, I did, at least). I went with friends to the 2013 reboot as well and loved that one too! And, I actually thought the 2017 origin story wasn't half bad either.
When news hit last year that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise was being revived yet again, I was already sold. Debuting last Friday, I gave it a watch... and loved it!
THE PLOT
A quartet of idealistic twenty-somethings from Austin, Texas purchase the ghost town of Harlow, Texas with grand plans of creating their own utopia. But every paradise has a serpent lying in wait. Leatherface, having been dormant for nearly 50 years, is triggered when his caretaker is accidentally killed by the kids from Austin. Recovering his chainsaw and donning a new mask, Leatherface embraces his calling once again. But an old enemy returns to exact revenge on him, an enemy who has waited patiently for this day.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
SPOILERS AHEAD!
When I first saw the trailer, it reeked of Halloween 2018. So much so that it felt off-putting. I did not need to see the character of Sally Hardesty back nor pulling yet another Sarah Conner imitation on us. On top of that, I wasn't sold on Leatherface's look either. The beginning of the movie, when we're introduced to our "protagonists" I wasn't particularly won over. But as the movie progressed it made twists and turns that surprised me. By the end of the movie I was all in and loving it.
This is the ninth film the franchise that will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in two years. So, at this point I guess the question becomes, Why do we keep coming back? For me, and I'm guessing many of us, it isn't to see the people running away. I watch these movies to see Leatherface do his thing. I don't even need his family. I just need Leatherface. And, more than anything, I want to see him treated right. Just like Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy, Chucky, and Pinhead, I don't watch to see them defeated or get their asses kicked. There are some truly despicable movies out there where I cheer to see the villains annihilated, but Leatherface isn't one of them.
Leatherface, by the end, I felt was treated very well, with reverence and care. Even his mask, which I wasn't enthusiastic about based on the still photos, works very well on film. And the filmmakers give him the moment I wish would be given to Michael Myers: Leatherface finally kills Sally! And everyone who needed to get killed got their just dues. The one character that survives was the only character I really liked from the protagonists. I was gonna be pissed if Sarah Yarkin (Melody) survived! Luckily she received one of the best kills in the movie (god, I hated her character. Although, I enjoyed Sarah Yarkin in the Happy Death Day films).
And Sally... 'sigh' I was dreading seeing her return. And doing exactly what Laurie Strode was doing in the 2018 Halloween. But it didn't play out like I expected. And when she was on screen, it reminded me less of Laurie Strode and more of... DENNIS HOPPER?! Instead of leaning into the Halloween 2018 comparison, I approached this movie from a Texas Chainsaw point of view, looking for the nods and references to the previous films in the series. One of the most surprising nods was Sally evoking Dennis Hopper's character from Chainsaw 2; Lieutenant Lefty Enright. Once I started seeing Sally through that lens, and not as a repeat of H40 Laurie Strode, I was onboard with her character. And the filmmakers having the balls to kill her off too was perfect! I didn't want her back. I didn't need her back. So the way her character was handled was satisfying for me.
The movie plays mostly like an old school slasher and I feel that worked in its favor. If the filmmakers would've modernized it for the 2022 era, playing on all of the troupes that have dominated cinema for the last seven years, I don't think the film would've played well. It didn't lean nearly as hard on the nostalgia references either, as H40 did, which again I feel was a benefit. And it delivered on the namesake... AT LAST! Finally there is a genuine massacre, wholesale slaughter, sequence in the series where at least a dozen or more people are eviscerated at once (something the series had never done before). I couldn't help but compare this sequence to the mass slaughter sequence in Halloween Kills and... I gotta give it to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They did it better and, I daresay, hold the title now for best kill sequence. Although... Hellraiser III is still a contender.
With the exception of just one, I have enjoyed all of the films in the series (and some I completely love). I was worried that this film was going to suck hard given how most classic franchises are treated these days. But this one nailed it!
Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10
The only bad part about this is that it was released on Netflix, and by that I mean the lack of a physical media release for this film. As someone who owns the entire franchise, I would love to own this on home video. Maybe they'll give it a legit physical release someday, in a boxset or something, but that will probably be years down the road. Time will tell.
Anyway, I enjoyed the hell out of this movie! And hopefully we will continue to receive quality sequels in the future.
For more of my twisted views on horror and other entries in the Texas Chainsaw series, check out the posts below
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