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The infamous murderer, Leatherface, has returned, and this time, he wants revenge in the latest installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Directed by David Blue Garcia along with a screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin, the film is a sequel to the famous franchise of the same name and follows a group of young entrepreneurs and their enounter with Leatherface, who is out to get revenge on them.
Note: This article contains spoilers and reflects the opinion of the writer.
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' review
Ninth in the franchise, Texas Chainsaw Massacre brought in social media, capitalism and gentrification, all in one film. A sequel to the 1974 classic, the sequel revives the infamous Leatherface and his cannibalistic slumber.
What makes this installment stand out from others is how the slasher villain is humanized, from being a killer to a mourning son avenging his adopted mother's death.
The story of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre hangs around the characters and the unsurprising plot developments. While the film has mild commentary on mass shootings and late-stage capitalism, it still manages to deliver plenty of blood-spattering, gut-spilling gore to satisfy every slasher film fan.
A fresh start
The film opens with a group of friends driving across the plains of Texas, where they stop at a roadside gas station and learn about the masked entity from 1974 who was never caught. It takes a page from several horror sequels by building on the plot of the first film into the present day.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre revolves around Lila, her older sister Melody, her business partner Dante and his girlfriend Ruth, who have all teamed up to buy an abandoned town to open up a restaurant.
The group managed to convince the youngest banker to get a group of wide-eyed influencers and entrepreneurs on a bus to bid on the town buildings. To them, the old town is a perfect space for something like 'an art gallery' or 'a place for a fresh start.'
The rise of Leatherface
Upon seeing a Confederate flag hoisted, the group forced their way into an empty building. The mysterious old woman, portrayed by Alice Krige, wonders why these kids are in her house.
After some back and forth about the building's deed, Dante decided to call the Sheriff and have her removed from the property, believing she was trespassing.
During the scuffle, the old lady loses contact with her oxygen machine and goes into cardiac arrest. A hulking shadowy figure appears, someone she calls her son, and accompanies her in the ambulance but the lady dies. Meanwhile in Harlow, the auction for the retail space is in full swing.
The unapologetic murderer
Texas Chainsaw Massacre does not see a lot of successful fightbacks, which is something that stays true to its roots but does not have a lot to offer when it comes to suspense.
Anyone Leatherface wishes to kill, he does so with little fanfare. However, the film does have a few inventive slices and gouges, like the disaffected youth live-streaming their mass execution.
The story was developed by Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues, but the execution seems to have gotten lost in the screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin. Director David Blue Garcia did put his cinematography skills to good use by constructing some striking shots that captured the beauty of his home state and love for the franchise. He succeeded in putting the Texas in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Only human
One such humanistic moment is when Leatherface, charging across a dusty field of dead sunflowers, is browned perfectly in the hot Texas sun. Only to carve his adoptive mother's face to wear as a mask, which he holds up in the light, letting the slashed skin glow like burnt embers.
However, the film fails to redefine Leatherface's legacy any better than the other sequels. All-in-all, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is right for fans who value slashers based on their body count and nefarious creativity instead of the dark and gritty aspect of it.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now streaming on Netflix.
