We continue our 31 days of frights with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974. A group of teens travels in the hot Texas sun when they come across a giant house with a bunch of rundown cars. Inside, they will find unspeakable horrors in the form of a family.
The Story
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best horror movies of all time. There are many different things in this movie that make the audience uncomfortable. First of all, the setting. The Texas heat is all over this movie. Most of the movie is a gritty thrill ride, and it looks and feels steamy.
The next great thing about this movie is how unsettling and realistic it seems. The movie is filmed in a low-budget found footage type of way, and this helps to make everything appear authentic. There is really no music in this movie. Instead, there are constant slaughterhouse sounds that fill your soul with dread.
The movie does a lot without showing a lot. Many people watch this and remember it being insanely bloody and violent when, in reality, there is little to no blood in the movie at all. The movie relies on atmosphere and psychological tension rather than graphic violence.
The Characters
Obviously, the most memorable character in this movie is Leatherface. He is one of the most iconic slasher villains of all time. Unlike other slashers, he isn’t controlled by pure evil. He is guided by his family as well as his fear. Being as huge and unpredictable as he is makes for a terrifying villain. He also makes masks out of flesh, so there is that. When you hear the rev of that chainsaw, you’d better start running.
The rest of Leatherface’s family is really fun and memorable as well. You have the hitchhiker. He is deranged and the first person that the teens come across. He carries around a knife and never makes much sense. You have the cook. He is the smartest family member, but still crazy. He is in charge of cooking the meat from the victims. Lastly, you have grandpa. He just kind of sits there, and you wonder if he is alive or not, but he is, and he’s gross. This family adds so much to the movie because Leatherface is scary enough, but when you have to escape multiple crazy people, it’s even scarier.
Last but not least, I would like to talk about Sally, played by Marilyn Burns. I have heard that a lot of people don’t like her performance, and some have called her whiny and annoying. Wouldn’t you be a little whiny if a 300-pound man wearing someone’s face was chasing you with a chainsaw? She does a lot of screaming in the movie, but I honestly feel that it adds to the experience.
The last 20 minutes of this movie are a rush. Sally escapes and is chased outside and inside away from Leatherface and the family. She is screaming the whole time, but it’s a scream that lets you know she’s doing everything she can to survive. It is honestly one of the best endings in horror, and if you haven’t seen this classic yet, please do so.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available to watch on Netflix, Tubi, Peacock, and Pluto TV.
Come back tomorrow for some more spooky reviews.
