Despite the iconic reputation the character of Leatherface has garnered over the past six decades, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has remained an inconsistent and mishandled franchise in the horror genre. Since the Tobe Hooper horror masterpiece was released in 1974, eight entries in the franchise have mostly failed to inject life into it. So much so that the franchise added a 2003 remake with a 2006 prequel film.
With Halloween (2018) a massive hit for the genre, it was only a matter of time before another franchise would enter the world of retconning their franchise outside of the original entry. Enter director of the Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe Fede Alvarez to produce the latest iteration of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and attempt to give new life in the franchise. Unfortunately for Alvarez, 2022’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another misstep in the franchise and one of the most misguided attempts in relaunching the franchise thus far.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows Melody, her sister Lila and their entrepreneurial friends as they enter the town of Harlow, Texas, in hopes of bringing new life to the abandoned village. Unfortunately, despite their noble intentions, the group soon realizes they’re in the wrong part of town as Leatherface returns to wield his chainsaw on the group and anyone that comes in his way.
As a massive fan of the horror genre, I’ve always been forgiving of films as long as they capture the escapism and fun in these films. However, in deciding to retcon the franchise altogether, Texas Chainsaw Massacre opens itself into criticism of how Alvarez, director David Blue Garcia, and screenwriter Chris Thomas Devlin handled the retcon. I left this film wondering why the series was retconned as little is revealed regarding the whereabouts of Leatherface and Sally, our original final girl, over the past 5o years and the reasons these two are meant to fight forever.
Screenwriter Devlin, working with a story by Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues, fails not just to find connective tissue between the original film and this new entry but fails in bringing to life characters that cinephiles will find any stakes in rooting for. What works well in 2018’s Halloween is David Gordon Green’s ability to capture the trauma Laurie Strode has been facing over the past 40 years. In the case of Sally, none of the pathos is earned, and we are given a hollow, uninteresting story that will pose more questions of the film’s existence rather than enjoyment.
An enormous disservice to the film is the misuse of Elsie Fisher. Since her breakout in Eighth Grade, I’ve been a fan of the actress and was looking forward to her role in the film. Unfortunately, Fisher’s charm and magnetic personality are stripped from the film and given little to work with and left with little to elevate the movie.
If there is a highlight, it’s the kills. Leatherface is as menacing as ever, and it’s seen with some of the most gruesome murders within the franchise. From the moment he pops up in a sunflower field, our chainsaw wielding killer is out for blood. Highlighted by a killing spree on a tour bus of influencers, who are there to up the kill count in the film, Leatherface makes no bones about it. He’s not a fan of influencers and what they represent.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre fails to evoke new life into the franchise. In turn, it’s an entry that falls in line with some of the worst horror reboots in quite some time. It’s lifeless and guilty of the biggest cinematic sin of all – being pointless.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is currently streaming on Netflix.
