‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Review (Netflix)

Stars: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Jacob Latimore, Moe Dunford, Olwen Fouere, Jessica Allain, Nell Hudson, Alice Krige, William Hope, Jolyon Coy, Sam Douglas, John Larroquette | Written by Chris Thomas Devlin | Directed by David Blue Garcia

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is an odd one. There’s about four different timelines despite not that many movies, and although the quality has actually been good (for the most part), none have really got close to the sheer sense of terror that the first movie delivered. As always though, I was very much excited to see the latest movie.

This one is a direct sequel to the original movie and not linked to any other sequels that came before it. A new timeline altogether set in present-day almost fifty years after the original as Leatherface is once again disrupted by a new group of young friends and is soon getting to work at making sure no one bothers him ever again.

The original movie (I know I shouldn’t but it will get mentioned a lot during this review) managed to be brutal and terrifying but with very little in the way of actual blood and gore. This new 2022 movie is the opposite of that because there is a lot of blood and gore. It could be argued that a slasher film lives or dies on its death scenes and in Texas Chainsaw Massacre the death scenes are a delight. They don’t try to be anything but absolutely brutal and gruesome. They’re pretty inventive at times too, Leatherface doesn’t just use a chainsaw, he kills people with their own bones, glass and various other weapons but things do indeed get even bloodier when he gets that trusty chainsaw back in his hands. Leatherface kills in some exceptionally brilliant ways right up until the last moments of the movie.

Mark Burnham does a great job as Leatherface. Genre fans might know him from Lowlife, and he clearly has the size on his side. But it’s not just that. He moves in just the right way, he walks like an unsteady monster and he swings that chainsaw perfectly. The rest of the cast is enjoyable too, with Sarah Yarkin already featuring Happy Death Day 2U and Eat Brains Love on her CV, she’s becoming a bit of a scream queen, and this latest offering will only help. She’s been really good in everything I’ve seen her in. Elsie Fisher was fantastic in the memorable Eighth Grade and she shows plenty of ability again in a grittier role here. While Jacob Latimore and Moe Dunford have their roles down perfectly.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn’t completely without faults though and I wasn’t thrilled about how they brought back another old character from the original and the use of guns seems uneven. The film-makers seem to want to make a message about the use of guns in America but it’s not always clear what side of the argument they are on. Maybe that’s the point, I’m not sure.

I wondered whether a Leatherface well into his sixties would work but there is no doubting it does here and I’d happily see a sequel (if my Twitter timeline is anything to go by, a LOT of people have watched this film already). Texas Chainsaw is back to its bloody and brutal best, with an array of great death scenes and a terrifying villain, I doubt I’ll see a more fun slasher movie this year.

**** 4/5

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available to watch now on Netflix.