The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The story begins with five innocent kids on their way to checkout reports of grave robbing. As Sally, (Burns) her invalid brother Franklin, and three friends head out to inspect the gravesite of her family, they are soon side tracked on the ultimate journey of terror. One by one, they wander into the murderous clutches of Leatherface and his trusty chainsaw. The poster reads: "Who will survive and what will be left of them?" In this case, not much, and what is...well, becomes the main course. (House of Horrors)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
Written By: Tobe Hooper, Kim Henkel
Starring: John Larroquette, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, Teri McMinn, John Dugan, William Vail
Genres: Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Franchise: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
AKA: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Country: USA
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre belongs to 91 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 234 stars)
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 12 |  |
TonythePony | 77 70th |
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An experience. A creepy, gripping, unnerving experience. The title creates expectations of splatter and carnage, instead it's your tortured imagination that paints the landscape red. The low-rent actors hold up better than expected, Burns sustained terror is mesmerising (though Grandpa is pretty silly). The visuals are impressive for the genre, but the sounds are what truly linger; the chainsaw rasping and tearing for an eternity may be the closest any horror film comes to scarring your psyche.
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| 12 |  |
karamazov. | 81 97th |
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I was completely taken aback by that ending when I saw this-- the way it didn't seem to -mean- anything, just conveyed a strange beauty-- pure images, pure cinema. Just Leatherface spinning and swinging his chainsaw, like the two soldiers dancing at the end of SALÒ.
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| 7 |  |
Moribunny | 98 99th |
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The godfather of all slasher films and by far the scariest, it really transcends its genre and is brilliant by any standard. One of its strengths lies in its story's actual plausibility (twisted though it may be, one could see it happening), something which can't be said of your usual stupid undead-ridden/supernatural horror fare. Another lies in its mastery of suspense and atmosphere and low reliance on gore effects.
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| 7 |  |
TimeCapsule | 86 90th |
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Classic 70's horror, whose dirty, gritty, documentary style, combined with teen horror/slasher elements, together made for a genre defining film that famously blessed the world with the horror icon "Leatherface". While the gore is mainly left to the imagination of the viewer, the descent into madness is on full display, leaving audiences feeling disturbed and in desperate need of a shower with the hopes of washing off some of the lingering uncomfortable feelings the unnerving film carves up.
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| 6 |  |
amerigo | 89 94th |
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Many modern horror films have lost the way, in that they depend on dark settings and perhaps acts of sadism or torture. A film like this however crafts disturbing situation after disturbing situation in a way that depends little on effects and much more on the bizarre. The imagery never ceases to be unsettling, while acting perfomances are convincing all around. It's honest in the victim's reactions and merciless in its portrayal of the demented.
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| 6 |  |
Der_Barney | 87 89th |
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I'm conflicted about this one. I sometimes wish I hadn't watched it, but not because it's a bad movie - on the contrary: I kinda hate it because it is so effective. The documentary feel and the actors playing their inbred hick parts to the hilt together with the extreme violence (not gore, mind you!) made sure the movie got to me more than it should have, being "just a 70s slasher", which it turned out not to be. Think twice before watching.
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| 5 |  |
KasperL | 85 93rd |
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I dug the low-budget feel and to recognize most of the genre conventions, by now done to death, at this early stage was intriguing. A slasher film, no matter how scary, sleazy, atmospherically photographed or what-have-you, is only as effective as its killer, and Leatherface is one of the best. The silly "Grandpa scene" almost derailed the, until then, bloody fun proceedings but, luckily, the film gets back on track. A horror classic, and deservedly so.
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| 5 |  |
BillyShears | 100 98th |
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"Hey guys lets turn on that radio station that only reports on the dankest stuff! "
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| 5 |  |
NathanDarko | 90 79th |
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TCM is an all-time classic movie that never ( even more than 20 years later ) lost any of his intensive feeling. Gunnar Hansen's chainsaw dance is unique and no remake ever will reach on Tobe Hoopers masterpiece from the early 70's. This movie was the inspiration for innumerable flicks that followed in the 80's, 90's and even today.
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| 5 |  |
CaptTesticle | 80 78th |
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Little things throughout the day remind me of this movie, like when women run away from me screaming or when I harass fat guys in wheelchairs for kicks. Mostly, it's the soothing chainsaw that runs unceasingly in my mind.
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| 5 |  |
Paxton | 94 98th |
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Terror as it should be filmed. A closeup of an unflinching eye is the stuff of legend. Does John Larroquette do the narration? Of course, he does.
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| 4 |  |
MadMan | 100 97th |
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Utterly frightening and also very disturbing. The lack of gore only makes its ability to terrify the viewer all the more remarkable, and suggests that sometimes the worst and scariest things ever are often the things we can only imagine. Oh and the chainsaw dance is truly an awesome and eerie sight to behold.
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| 4 |  |
djross | 84 94th |
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Almost all aspects reach an extremely high level, and almost every scene and moment is great, an incredible achievement on a low-budget by inexperienced filmmakers. Stands the test of time better than almost all horror films. Re-watched (for the first time on high definition) December 2020.
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| 4 |  |
Pickpocket | 8 82nd |
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Tense. The first time we see Leatherface is one of the most intense moments in film history. Sucks Hooper went on to do a whole lot of crap after this.
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| 4 |  |
Alex Watkins | 6 98th |
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can be credited with popularizing power tools as horror weapons, positing slasher villains as masked giants, proving that low-budget genre films could be blockbuster successes, and probably countless other things. But mainly, it can be credited with being the purest, most relentless and awe-inspiring straight-up horror film ever made. The film's second half still has the power to leave nerves exposed, and the ending is the greatest in film, bar-none.
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| 4 |  |
Anomaly | 83 81st |
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Its restraint when it comes to the actual violence (originating from the intention of getting a lower rating) only serves to make it more terrifying, to further darken its already disturbing tone. The low-budget documentary look and feel makes it more real, more immediate, even when the scenes take their time. That is what horror should focus on, not on trying to gross out the audience.
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| 4 |  |
frederic_g54 | 8 77th |
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No cheap thrills à la "Halloween" or "The Evil Dead", this film is packed with genuine scares, mostly thanks to its excellent approach at storytelling. It's fair to say the 3rd act doesn't do justice to what preceded it, it's embarrassingly silly (damn rednecks). If it's a film that grows on you, then I'm sure to love it even more the next time around. The scraping, intoxicating sound of the chainsaw will keep you awake at night. All in all, a great (one of the few) if contrived horror film.
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| 4 |  |
backwardsuit | 91 97th |
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Here is a film of total unrestrained terror. It's the complete nihilism & lack of explanation that makes the film terrifying even after all the years and the brainless gore-movies that followed. The film brilliantly utilizes sweaty low-budged production to create a strange kind of film-reality where Leatherface & his family simply exist as a perversely natural part of their environment. It's the ideas the film evokes that terrorize the audience instead of any visible gore.
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| 3 |  |
twincinema | 100 99th |
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My favourite horror film. Love how each scene just feels so grimy. Also, major props to Hooper making the dude in a wheelchair the most unsympathetic character in the whole film. That's very progressive of him!
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| 3 |  |
jstry | 31 13th |
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This movie made me want to throw up and still gives me nightmares to this day, even though I saw it about 10 years ago. Yes, that probably makes it a good horror movie, but it doesn't make me like it.
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| 3 |  |
hellsditch | 96 99th |
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A true "horror" movie, with a completely plausible premise. You ever drive through the Pine Barrens late at night and think about who and what could be lurking right past the tree line? The first time you see this, the viewer is just as shocked, horrified and confused as the victims are. Brilliantly, ecstatically demented, scarily authentic, genuinely unnerving. This is what true horror is capable of in the right hands, such as Hooper's. Some of his compositions are stunningly beautiful.
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| 3 |  |
Vandelay1 | 90 97th |
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Great
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| 3 |  |
Jeb | 98 93rd |
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Every bit as amazing as in the 70s. Very frightening and also very disturbing. Has some very memorable scenes such as the chainsaw dance and the main course! Classic horror film!
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| 3 |  |
woodoo | 90 82nd |
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Terrifying and yet practically bloodless. I have no explanation for what happened to Tobe Hooper after this movie.
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| 3 |  |
Groovy_Souls | 90 90th |
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Truly terrifying and shot with real technique, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the real slasher film that gives no disappointment. Tobe Hooper is an amazing director and it shows here with his unique and intriguing shots. The acting is quite good for a horror movie, and it manages to be terrifying with neither paranormal BS or real jump scares. Disturbing yet amazing.
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| 2 |  |
tma1 | 80 75th |
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Scary. Not only is it just plain creepy in terms of its story, the way the film is shot makes it almost seem like a documentary at times. A documentary about a guy in with a chainsaw, who eats people.
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| 2 |  |
Kojiless | 84 88th |
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Before John Laroquette was prosecuting petty criminals in the court of Mel Torme, he was earning his velveeta money narrating movies about handicapped big brothers riding in vans, picking up crazy hitchhikers, whining about the heat, and getting their wheelchairs caught on exposed sycamore roots in backwoods Texas. I think there was a guy with a leather face, too.
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| 2 |  |
auritech | 75 67th |
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Every element of the film is rather good and effectively disturbing. From the tortured synthesizer and ominous slow titles in the beginning to the last frame, the movie successfully sets a terrifying atmosphere, and surprisingly doesn't rely on as much gore as I thought it would have (considering its time on the BBFC's Video Nasties list). The low budget nature works to its benefit, too. I can't believe it took me until autumn 2009 to see it, and it still holds up well.
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| 2 |  |
jsivley | 90 94th |
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One of the best! The heart of what makes movies scary.
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| 2 |  |
caiman | 94 97th |
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This movie doesn't do everything I hate about modern horror movies. There is no polish. No shine. No special effects. And it does all the things I love. It offers true shocks, and some truly grotesque, deranged situations. Its raw feel makes it seem like watching a documentary, and the effect is horrifying. It represents the kind of film making that we saw in the 70s that, sadly, just doesn't happen anymore. This is still one of the scariest movies ever made.
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| 2 |  |
nilkynarfy | 92 95th |
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Grand Guignol meets America's Heartland. A vicious, unrelenting piece which dissects the violence inherent in American urban folklore and presents it all in an unbearable manner. By the time the ill-feeling begins to fade, it just ends. You're never really given a chance to come to terms with what you just saw, and that is why this movie is a success, it adamantly refuses you the comfort of becoming desensitized.
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| 2 | Dustyd | 75 79th |
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Dated but effective horror flick that relies more on tension than gore.
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| 2 |  |
muutanet | 80 83rd |
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Classic. Good story. Massively copied since.
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| 2 |  |
INDYATMN | 55 6th |
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Perhaps had I seen this as a teen it would've been more effective on me. However, as an adult, it was irritating & then unpleasant. While there's no question that in the second half of the film Hooper worked overtime (& with no small amount of technical prowess & creativity) to try and capture the sensation of what it's like to go insane, the first half is still filled w/ teen cyphers who only exist to die (the only personality trait is annoying) & the second half feels like torture porn's dad.
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| 2 |  |
stanthecaddy | 94 94th |
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Among the most effective horror movies ever made. It's dirty, grimy, and shocking without being overly graphic. The sets are well-done, and the Leatherface homestead is a classic and imaginative horror locale. The documentary style works to great effect.
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| 2 |  |
letskillrobots | 6 15th |
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Seriously, guys?
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| 2 |  |
overrated | 93 98th |
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The introduction of Leatherface is legitimately shocking and possibly the best in the horror genre (the final couple of minutes too). The whole feel of the film is grimy and off kilter, though my score would be even higher if the last half hour wasn't the heroine screaming non-stop. TCM can be seen as a visceral bookend to Night of the Living Dead in how America reacted to the upheavals of the time, and reestablished for modern audiences that there's just something off about the South.
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| 2 |  |
hellboy76 | 70 79th |
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The amateurishness and grit is what really adds to the tension and makes this effective. So much better than 90 percent of horror that has come after it.
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| 2 |  |
glumpy_99 | 92 85th |
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Unsettling, vivid horror film set the template for the splatter film, but has never been equalled, thanks to a careful, creepy build-up, and believable characterisations of both the prospective victims, and the domestic back and forths amongst the Leatherface family. Maybe it's not 'realistic' but it certainly 'feels' real, thanks to Hooper's inventive staging (especially inside the house) and ferocious, committed, naturalistic performances from the entire cast (especially Burns).
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| 2 |  |
Leonardis | 91 68th |
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre sticks with both chills and scares and as a result, it's one of the finest horror film classics ever. Great sound editing, directing, and a good, messed up story. This all ends up working very well.
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| 2 | princemuchao | 90 84th |
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Every time I see this I am surprised how good it is. The long shots and sound design really stand out on this viewing - background noise is used so effectively. Marilyn Burns is a big part of its success too - you believe her pure terror like you rarely do in horror movies. My favorite part about this is that they don't try to explain anything at all. The condition of the house, the artifacts, and the cars under the netted tarp tell you all you need to know without bullshit artificial dialogue.
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| 2 |  |
3dRevelation | 33 4th |
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An annoyingly low-budget, poorly acted screamfest. Probably seemed a lot better back in 74, but time hasn't been kind. There are many better slasher films.
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| 2 |  |
lisa- | 7 92nd |
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a rather astonishing slasher with an incredible avant garde atmosphere. it's surprising how good some of these original slashers are given what exists today; importantly, the plot isn't predicated on inexplicable idiocy. the ending fizzles out a bit (later: cancel that, the ending is fantastic) but apart from that, great.
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| 2 |  |
Jasongirl67 | 60 39th |
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Not one of my personal favorites I'm not a fan of movies with no plot just violent to be violent But it does feel real like I'm watching a snuff film
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| 2 | doyler29 | 100 96th |
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Hey ... this a pretty good movie! Seriously, this is an utter masterpiece. It creates an atmosphere of unease from the very first images and builds tension until it explodes in a frenzy of sheer utter madness. I never tire of this film.
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| 2 |  |
JonnyHalftab | 90 90th |
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I have to give this extra credit for giving me a nightmare the night I watched. Interestingly enough, Leatherface only had a few seconds of screen time. It was the hitchhiker who terrorized only me through the halls of an unfamiliar house full of my extended family. That is, before he sliced off my dominant hand and the tone shifted to lamentation of its implications (I'd never toss the pigskin with my dad or future son again) When I awoke, I immediately made a fist to see it was still there
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| 1 | knyttelol | 50 18th |
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Some good acting and nice shots, one really good scene in the beginning (hitchhiker getting freaky in the van) otherwise a bit to boring and mild for horrorfans of today.
Mostly lots och screaming and running.
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| 1 |  |
TripleSH | 92 95th |
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When you watch this today, you can really forget just how long ago this was made. Now look at the movies that are being put out. Well over 50% of the horror genre in theaters in the last decade have paid massive tribute to Tobe Hooper and this gore classic.
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| 1 | spoonerspot | 81 71st |
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This is the main reason I've never been to Texas
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| 1 | McWop | 90 91st |
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One of the few movies to actually creep me out. It's always tons of fun to watch in a group.
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| 1 | silentmateo | 87 89th |
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A horror movie that scares me, a rarity
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| 1 |  |
DMCrimson | 87 96th |
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A raw fucking nightmare. How many horror movies actually stand the test of time?
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| 1 | AsILayDying | 90 82nd |
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This original horror classic is disgustingly brilliant in every chainsaw-weilding scene. All of the characters are intriguingly personafied by a talented cast, from the young, innocent kids on their summer road trip, to the psychotic cannibalistic family. A+!
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| 1 | mikeypain | 88 91st |
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Leagues better than the remake.
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| 1 |  |
TheDenizen | 85 91st |
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This flick has an incredible creepy and squalid atmosphere right from the get go, and continually ratchets the tension until it hits unbearable levels. Then the chainsaw comes out. Classic horror with surprisingly little gore, but no less scary for it.
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| 1 | hank | 90 92nd |
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One of the best horror movies ever. Cannibalism is creepy.
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| 1 |  |
Slowking2099 | 100 96th |
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This is, in my opinion, the finest example of a "good-good" slasher ever created. Perfectly atmospheric, it's one of the few movies that's creepy in broad daylight. Why is it so scary? Because no matter how outrageous, nothing in this film felt unrealistic or cheesy. It never resorted to gross-out levels of gore or cheap T&A, but once things started going wrong for the unfortunate group, it absolutely didn't let up. Relentless horror has never been done so well before or since.
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| 1 |  |
TheDiceman | 60 62nd |
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Classic slasher.
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| 1 |  |
Ytadel | 7 83rd |
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Does a fine job instilling a sense of panic and depravity with its raw, stripped-down aesthetics. The characters aren't exactly of literary depth, but it moves so quickly and relentlessly from the midpoint on that, combined with its already brisk runtime, it almost feels like a long short more than a short feature. The jarring cut to end credits is brilliant.
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| 1 | LuciferHam | 81 51st |
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Creepy as hell, deserves all the cultural recognition its recieved.
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| 1 |  |
Nathan S | 4 74th |
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It's impressive how effectively this low budget simple concept was manipulated into what has since become a monumental horror film. Something like Southern Gothic extremism, and perhaps second only to Psycho on the list of archetypal slasher flicks. Among the things that struck me most is the film's color palette, particularly the daytime scenes which are shot in a sickly amber must.
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| 1 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 34 2nd |
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Has the production values of a 70's porn movie - bad acting, crappy script, silly music - and relies mostly on shock and gore to keep you watching. The ending's not bad, I guess.
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| 1 |  |
HalfJapanese | 90 90th |
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One of horror's truly iconic masterpieces.
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| 1 |  |
TedDedon | 80 60th |
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Classic horror movie that is every bit as thrilling today as it probably was in the 70s.
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| 1 |  |
MonsterGear | 62 22nd |
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Disturbing. I'm glad I didn't see it as a little kid - I probably wouldn't have slept until I was seventeen.
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| 1 | meian | 12 10th |
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The film would have been tremendously better had that woman been killed early on before she could spend an hour and a half screaming.
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| 1 | wcnitz | 88 92nd |
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A cult classic that I've always overrated. Terrifying horror just isn't the same any more - films like this set a bar that can no longer be reached.
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Shmendrek | 4 83rd |
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Prepare for some heebie jeebies and creepy crawlies as rural American is forever rendered "locked-door country" in your psyche.
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| 1 | st_fly | 82 82nd |
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Very Good
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Icarus | 81 66th |
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Fascinating and disturbing, Hooper's film disturbs primarily through an overwhelming sense of the random, which he develops through surprising edits and minimal visual information. Even with a sense of the progression of such genre films, it manages to remain surprising. Further, the isolation of the setting reveals its degenerative results, where life barely hangs on, but when it does only in an unsettling fashion.
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| 1 | raiders2000 | 83 41st |
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So incredibly frightening. Scars you.
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| 1 |  |
hehejaja | 80 76th |
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Pressing gloom and persistent dread; the unnerving images work only better and better each time.
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| 1 |  |
lumpnboy | 85 92nd |
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The subsequent careers of Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel demonstrate both that the former should not have been viewed as so singularly responsible for the merits of TTCM, and that the latter is more interesting and talented in ways which might have been more generally visible if the first error had not become somewhat entrenched in popular understanding. It is about some of the conditions that make it possible for people to succeed and create the films they can make. And it is about justice.
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Dean Franz | 100 98th |
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For better or for worse, the single most influentiAH, FUCK IT!!! LEATHERFACE, MOTHERFUCKER!!! CHAINSAWS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| 1 | kav | 92 95th |
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Brilliant, efficient, suspenseful, drenched in madness and sweat.
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| 1 |  |
rex | 100 96th |
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The ultimate existential horror film. Filmed with the kind of low-budget atmosphere that can't be bought, yet endlessly inventive. And the best cast of baddies ever.
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| 1 |  |
tathiel | 75 42nd |
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When you see this movie you know how much we are used to endure these days in movies. After the first killing I mostly knew all of the plot from all the other movies I've seen so far but that only means that they copied from this one here. It has very horrifying moments.
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Tomhet | 10 98th |
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For my money, this will forever be cinema's closet approximation to the sensation of a nightmare.
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| 1 | PennyLaneAF | 100 95th |
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The best horror movie ever made. Simple yet effective story. Great characters. Brilliant horror. Tension throughout. Fantastic cinematography and a chilling soundtrack. This film is horror greatness.
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| 1 |  |
moraesfelipe | 90 95th |
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Hooper's tale of a family eating another (with 3 friends). Raw, brutal, pure collection of images presented in frontal, nude fashion. A hitchhiker that looks like is going to hell, a spider's nest hanging beside a door of an old house, a first encounter that has to be cinema's best, chicken feathers, father, two sons and a vampire-like grandad poking a young girl, this very young girl leaving with a haunted look (our look), leatherface swinging the chainsaw in the last shots.
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begoniabol | 65 53rd |
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It has it's uncomfortable moments, but at times it's a bit silly and I got way too distracted by the ear piercing screaming. The last bit was pretty good though
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| 1 |  |
NewtonFig | 67 12th |
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It's a classic, but that doesn't necessarily make it good.
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| 1 | deastman | 60 31st |
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Texas, chainsaws, and massacres. This movie delivers on all fronts.
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| 1 | aaaaaaarrggg | 100 97th |
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Despite its infamy, this white-knuckle shocker isn't as graphically violent as it's reputed to be but relies instead on sound, editing, and breakneck pacing to create its unforgettable horror and suspense. After a slow start, it begins to masterfully tighten the screws and never lets up until the final frame; this baby can cause you to break out in a sweat even when seen in the dead of winter. Definitely Hooper's finest hour, and it's narrated by John Larroquette!
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| 1 |  |
astrakhan | 76 43rd |
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Worthwhile only because it's so insane. The family of wacky weapon-wielding weirdos steal every scene they are in. There is a sequence of several minutes in the middle where Leatherface just chases the girl in a forest, left, right, up, down, back and forth, on and on... now THIS is a technique we have never seen before, this is avant-garde film-making! There are plenty more shocking surprises to come, not all of which involve chainsaws. A really outside-the-box film!
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| 1 |  |
ABUNCHOFCATS | 86 73rd |
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Horrifying but flawed movie.
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| 1 |  |
SirStuckey | 75 67th |
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I was timid to watch this movie as it hits the "creepy redneck murderous family" motif that is extremely effective in making me super uncomfortable. Had I seen this when it came out I would have shit a brick. Since I've seen the remake and am aware of pop culture enough to know the majority of it the scares were definitely muted. I must say this movie is intense as hell though, and the last act will have your heart racing.
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| 1 |  |
yawkcorb | 90 87th |
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The original, a classic horror movie that is still scaring the crap outta kids 30 years later. Awesome
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| 1 |  |
mwgerb | 83 97th |
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Great, classic, brutal and plausible, it's the lack of artifice that makes it so perfect. The first murder would have been the place for a jump scare, but Leatherface walking in with a hammer is more horrifying than any quick cut ever could be. I took the grandfather's undeadness to be a hallucination brought on by desperate fear, more in common with Norman Bates' mother than a vampire. Captures fear and horror in their pure forms. Hard to watch, but due to its mastery, not lack of it.
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| 1 | Jazzaloha | 96 99th |
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Great execution (no pun intended). One of the most effective scary movies of all-time.
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| 1 |  |
mangoluver4u | 85 75th |
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People eating human flesh and being insane in general
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| 1 |  |
Cinema_Asia | 80 84th |
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This legendary indie gem builds up atmosphere like no other horror film. There's not much substance to it really but it is weird and creepy. It's like a cross between Deliverance and Psycho. The way the film is shot gives it a weird pseudo-documentary vibe which plays well into this sort of genre. There are some iconic scenes in this including the "family dinner" and the run through the wheat field. Good effort that could not be replicated with the shoddy sequels.
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| 1 |  |
PierreTheron | 35 7th |
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Pioneering or not, this film is only geared towards the weak-hearted. It's not all that terrifying, and several of its contemporaries simply blow it out of the water. It's a slightly entertaining budget flick that has aged terribly and simply isn't shocking enough or well-made enough to accomplish any sort of effect it might originally have possessed a semblance of. Even films such as The Evil Dead retain some of their campy charm, this one has just stagnated to the point of irrelevance.
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| 1 |  |
ahamel7896 | 10 98th |
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Easily the scariest film I've ever seen. Absolutely relentless from start to finish. The sound design is second to none.
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| 1 |  |
Tjekhov | 60 54th |
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Overall a surprisingly strong visual film - beautiful compositions, unsettling low-angle tracking shots and terrifying depth of field shots mixed with distorted long lens shots. I couldn't help feeling, that I have watched this film a dozen times before, which might turn out to be a compliment, in the sense that every horror-slasher since - have all been constructed and executed the same way as this one.
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| 1 |  |
Valenzetti | 89 84th |
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Why did I wait so long to watch this? Deeply unsettling in unexpected ways, anticipating the tension between body and social performance in Lynch and Cronenberg's work.
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| 1 |  |
DavidJohnson | 89 90th |
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What a pleasant surprise. Most older horror movies don't hold up that well, this one however does pretty well. It's still scary, disturbing, and shocking. The whole movie is very stylish, something that seems to rise above grindhouse. It kind of set the mold for plenty of horror films to come. Group of teenagers get picked off one by one by a serial killer. The scene where the first guy gets hit on the head with a hammer is probably one of the best scenes in any movie.
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| 1 |  |
Noblet | 48 24th |
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I just didn't get much out of this, I never really felt tense or frightened except for a handful of scenes. I guess this film either gets under your skin or it doesn't and falls flat on its face.
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| 1 |  |
Lord Moe | 90 86th |
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Forget everything you know about this movie for one moment. When you hear the word "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," what do you think of? Probably a modern torture-porn movie like "Hostel," devoid of any artistry or actual scares. Surprisingly, though, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" does not quite live up to its title, and that's a good thing. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is filmed with gritty, grainy camera work that almost makes it look like a documentary, which adds to the realism.
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| 1 |  |
Clark Nova | 97 83rd |
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GODDAMN! Leatherface sure can haul ass with that chainsaw!
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| 1 | RandallODim | 85 77th |
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An unrelentingly cruel, bleak and nihilistic movie. I love it.
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SpikyCactus | 65 28th |
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Top badass moment? Never mind the flared trousers and C&W music, (and all that screaming too, good grief), the real horror comes from seeing an obviously untrained guy using a chainsaw; and sadly we get to view the results. That nasty leg injury is going to take a while to heal. The fuel mix didn't seem right either; there was a lot of smoke at times, not good for the environment or operator. The only PPE used was a home-made leather mask! 1 chainsaw (a Poulan 245A), no cats or decapitations.
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| 1 |  |
Trooth | 84 89th |
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I was surprised at how tastefully this movie handled the violence. I never watched it as a kid, because a "chainsaw massacre" sounds like it would be gory as hell and absolutely horrifying. But there's really not a whole lot of blood, and almost no gore to speak of. One thing I especially like is that the villains are really unique, interesting characters. Different from mute juggernauts like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, but not flamboyant and comedic like Freddy Krueger.
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| 1 |  |
Calabria | 89 95th |
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something about the way this movie looks is just awesome. everything else is really...weird.
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| 1 |  |
bakcheia | 100 98th |
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This film is kind of a masterpiece, honestly. Always make sure that you aren't riding around the scary outskirts of Texas when Saturn is in Retrograde y'all. Shit will get fucked reaaaaaaally quick. But in all reality, while this film is pretty lo-fi and gritty, it has a commanding sense of tension it builds without much gore. This film is a masterclass in the most potent tools of great horror like atmosphere-building, sound design, and the parts left unknown. Truly a genre-defining film.
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| 1 |  |
disconnected | 94 94th |
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A visually intoxicating movie of extremely high artistic merit, even if it has a limited emotional palette. Kind of similar to Nirvana, though, where you have to wonder if it was worth it for all the embarrassing, cynical imitators.
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| 1 | zigooloo | 20 1st |
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There are those movies like Psycho who get better with age, and then there is this. Given its shocking content, it is perfectly understandable why the movie may have been somewhat influential at the time of its release. Nevertheless, had the film been released today, not only would it not stand out, it would epitomize everything that's wrong about the horror genre (awful acting, script and dialogues). In fact, these weaknesses made the movie hilarious at times, but for all the bad reasons.
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| 1 |  |
Joe Deering | 75 76th |
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Cements the idea that Texas Chainsaw is the Weezer of horror franchises, this film sets a bar that is never met again. Lovely production design and a great dynamic between the villains.
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| 1 |  |
luord | 6 1st |
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I don't see anything good about it, it's just boring, repulsive and aimless, alternatively.
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Quintonjamin | 80 80th |
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My only problem is that the characters aren't particularly great. I think this is considerably more scary than Halloween because it feels more like something that could actually happen.
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| 1 | vv238 | 82 88th |
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There are problems with this that I could discuss: some bad characters, parts are dated, starts rather slow, and almost nothing in the way of a real plot. All that being said: I have never been more physically and emotionally affected by a horror film. The last half-hour of this captured what pure visceral fear looks and feels like in a way that I have never experienced before. Bravo Tobe Hooper, bravo.
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Displaying 1 to 250 of 253 total ratings: Prev | Next
| Average Percentile 58.33% from 4656 Ratings |  |