Hated Horror Sequel On Netflix Doesn’t Deserve It
If you watch enough movies, something surprising will eventually happen: you’ll walk away from a movie thinking it was decent, only to find out people hated it. The likelihood increases even more when the movie is part of a long-running franchise because fans and critics alike will inevitably compare the new film to earlier and arguably superior movies. I believe that some movies are far better than their biggest haters would suggest, which is why I’m recommending that you give Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) on Netflix another chance.
Keeps Things Simple
As you may or may not already know, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is such a tangle of sequels, prequels, and reboots that it can be difficult to know how any one film connects to others in the franchise. For better or worse, this 2022 film keeps things simple by serving as the sequel to the 1995 movie The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Arguably, that alone justifies Leatherface fans checking out this movie…after all, it’s the first movie in decades to actually connect back to the original film’s continuity.
A New Generation Of Victims
What is Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) actually about, though? The plot involves some young entrepreneurs trying to transform an abandoned town in Texas into the ultimate gentrified area for hipsters (have these guys not visited Austin lately?), but they discover that this town might not be as abandoned as they thought. In fact, it’s the home to an infamous killer who is raring and ready to unleash his chainsaw on a new generation of victims.
A Fresh Faced Cast
One of the reasons I enjoy the newest Texas Chainsaw Massacre so much is the (ahem) killer cast. Elsie Fisher (the Despicable Me voice actor who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade) plays our main character, a school shooting survivor trying to deal with lingering trauma. Other talented cast members include Alice Krige (the Borg Queen herself), Olwen Fouéré (Ireland’s best-kept secret), Jacob Latimore (straight out of Maze Runner), and many more.
You’re Here For Leatherface
Now, it’s time to rip the band-aid off the saw wound: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) didn’t exactly wow the world when it premiered on Netflix. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a critical rating of 30 percent. In general, critics complimented the film for its extravagant gore but questioned whether the centerpiece monster, Leatherface, can still terrify modern audiences.
You’re probably asking the obvious question…why am I encouraging you to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a movie with such an abysmal critical rating? My first reason is pretty basic, but with a character as weird as Leatherface, I feel like you’re either all in or all out.
Much like with the Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises, fans are mostly here to see the killer go to work, and if you enjoy the idea of seeing Leatherface cut down some very annoying victims, this movie has what you’re looking for.
Goes Full Circle
Beyond the appeal of Leatherface himself, Texas Chainsaw Massacre also builds on the lore of this universe in some interesting ways. It’s cool to see OG final girl Sally Hardesty return as a Texas Ranger whose previous trauma has transformed her into a familiar Hollywood archetype: the grizzled veteran here for one last ride.
In some rewarding ways, her journey mirrors that of our latest protagonist, someone who masters her fear of firearms in time to defend herself against the guy bringing a chainsaw to a gunfight.
Available Only On Netflix
REVIEW SCORE
Plus, your mileage may vary, but I enjoyed how this latest Texas Chainsaw Massacre both builds upon and subverts the themes of the original movie. Part of what made that first film so shocking is that all you have to do is take one wrong turn or pick up the wrong hitchhiker to encounter dark and festering evil. This movie takes that idea and turns it into a blood-soaked message against gentrification, using buckets of blood to spell out a simple message: the more we try to kill the past, the likelier the past is to kill us.
It’s hardly a perfect film, but Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a bloody fascinating adventure that you can stream on Netflix today. Will you be pleasantly surprised by its graphic gore, or will you think this film is weaker than Grandpa trying to hold a hammer? You won’t know until you stream this oddball slasher and find out for yourself.
