The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

So: A chilling atmosphere, constant tension, ever-present fear... None of that is in the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre. One star was earned by the music, the other by the bright exceptions (about two scenes that really had something to them). An unnecessary remake. What struck me, however, is that the film is set in 1973, but you can't really tell. Odd. (05/09/2010)

Purely superficial, self-indulgent entertainment. As a maker of music videos, director Marcus Nispel is capable of spectacularly filming things of zero narrative value. The camerawork and its colour filters are reminiscent of David Fincher and, together with the dark music, contribute to the film’s dense and bleak atmosphere. But the non-existent plot build-up, the ineffective scares and the absence of mystery are more reminiscent of the cheap assembly-line productions by 1970s Italian trash directors (Joe D'Amato, for example). On top of that, the film is extremely disgusting. Seven also disgusted me in its own way, but it also impressed me with its wonderfully over-the-top and polished screenplay and deep ideas. I simply found The Texas Chainsaw Massacre repulsive. Count me among its victims. (01/16/2004)

As a stand-alone contribution to the genre, it’s barely average; as the remake of the horror legend that kick started the genre and remains flawless, it’s awful. In the original, every decision of the characters and stylistic choice had an unshakable position in the overall system and the atmosphere; in this one, the characters behave very stupidly and the violence and most of the editing feel overly stylised, killing all the naturalism and the potential of the harsh Texan setting. Only the male audience will be in danger, because after seeing the scantily clad and sweaty Jessica Biel they may feel their pants very tight. That, plus some interesting ideas and the traditionally good Ermey are the only things worthy of attention. (01/21/2019)

Of the three massacres, I liked this nearly 20-year-old version the most. It’s still far from perfect cinema, but the film contains many scenes that stick in your memory for a long time. I don’t know Marcus Nispel much, but as far as directing goes, there’s not much to fault. I was pleased to see Jessica Biel in the lead role (at least someone I know :D). I understand that the original has achieved cult status, but honestly, Leatherface here was better. His entrance was flawless again ("Boy, come on. Show them!"). The level of brutality compared to the original 1974 film is several notches higher. The film mostly shocks with its repulsiveness (all those interiors can really depress the viewer). Additionally, there’s a nice twist. A solid horror film with an unsettling musical score. For me, it’s 7/10. (03/12/2022)

At the moment when the camera goes through a bullet hole and it's neither cool nor impressive, but just unnecessarily disgusting, I should have realized that the whole movie would be like that. Minor whispering turns into total disaster with relentlessly annoying characters, only one powerful scene, and another stolen from The Blair Witch Project. (04/25/2006)