Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an American horror franchise created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. The original film released October 1, 1974, following a group of young adults who fall victim to a family of cannibals in rural Texas, including the masked killer Leatherface who uses a chainsaw as his primary weapon. The original film is considered one of the most influential horror films ever made, credited with helping to establish the slasher genre alongside Halloween and helping define the look and feel of American rural horror. The franchise has generated nine films, multiple video games, and a significant cultural footprint in horror.

The Original Film and Its Legacy

Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was shot in the summer of 1973 in Texas with a budget of approximately $140,000 and grossed over $30 million theatrically in the United States. The film’s approach, presented almost as a documentary, using handheld cameras, natural lighting, and genuinely disturbing production design, created an atmosphere of authenticity that most horror films of the era could not match. Leatherface, wearing a mask made of human skin and expressing himself through chainsaw aggression rather than words, became one of horror’s most iconic figures. The film was based loosely on the crimes of real-life murderer Ed Gein, as was Psycho and Silence of the Lambs. The extreme nature of the content led to it being banned in several countries and generating significant controversy, which only added to its notoriety.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Films

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in 1986, directed again by Tobe Hooper, shifted to a much more comedic tone and is divisive among fans. Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III in 1990 and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation in 1994 featuring early performances by Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey are considered weaker entries. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake in 2003 produced by Michael Bay was a commercial success and introduced a new prequel, The Beginning, in 2006. Texas Chainsaw 3D in 2013 attempted to serve as a direct sequel to the original film. Leatherface in 2017 was a prequel. Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2022 on Netflix was a direct sequel to the original that received poor reviews. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Sawyer Legacy was announced but details remain limited.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre in Video Games

Leatherface has appeared as a playable killer in Dead by Daylight since 2017 as the second licensed killer added to the game. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, an asymmetric multiplayer game by Gun Interactive and Sumo Nottingham released in August 2023, used the asymmetric horror format popularized by Dead by Daylight but placed it specifically within the Texas Chainsaw Massacre universe with the Family as the attacking team and victims attempting to escape. The game launched to moderate success but struggled to maintain its player base over time.