‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Review (Netflix) – Second Opinion
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 original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a movie that was based on the build-up of tension, until it became unbearable for the audience, with an explosion of violence that many don’t forget. Made in 1974, it has had sequels, been remade in many forms through the years and Netflix are the latest to give an attempt to revamp the series with a follow up to the original. The question is, does it live up to the original?
After 50 years since the events of the first film, a group of young friends decide to buy up the town Texas town near where Leatherface’s attacks took place. When some of the locals fight against being sold out though and one dies, Leatherface returns.
Netflix’s version of Texas Chainsaw Massacre in many ways had a lot to prove. This in some terms is unfair. Part of the problem though for this movie is the fact that it chose to be a sequel, which the latest Halloween movies probably inspired, and in truth it just doesn’t work.
For fans of the original, they will remember that Sally was left a mental mess, but had managed to escape. The fact that we are meant to believe that she has been searching for Leatherface since then for vengeance is a little hard to stomach. She is no Laurie Strode, and in one remake of the original (the 2003 one) we even saw her in unused footage still in a hospital. In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 of course Left (Dennis Hopper’s character) was the one looking for vengeance for her.
The problem with this is that Sally’s inclusion as a character just feels tacked on and unneeded. Olwen Fouéré does well in the role though with what she’s got, and at least her role is memorable and plays a part in the fight. It’s just a shame that the character does not work.
Looking at the cannon fodder in the movie, the characters are for the most part annoying and the audience almost hope for the death of these characters. The fact they come in and pretty much try to steal people’s homes from underneath them isn’t really something that is going to make people like them. There are some that stand out as not part of the unlikeable crowd of course, Moe Dunford’s Richter is one of them as is Elsie Fisher as Lila.
The fact is If you take Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a film that is not weighed down by the expectations of being a sequel to the original then it’s a fairly watchable horror that provides plenty of gore for those looking for it. The problem is of course that it really isn’t anything special, and in truth sometimes that is exactly what people are looking for in horror, plenty of gore that doesn’t hold back.
Looking at Netflix’s attempt at Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I can’t help but feel that it would have faired better if it wasn’t connected to the original, or at the very least not promoted as a follow-up to it. If this was just an offshoot where some unlikeable outsiders got themselves massacred by Leatherface, then it is an okay attempt at being a fairly run of the mill gore-fest. As a follow up to the original movie though, this provides nothing new and if anything is a disappointment to chainsaw fans.
*** 3/5
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available on Netflix now.
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