The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
When the story is more intriguing than the slashing.
Presentation:
Looking at the date of this film, one might imagine that the scares would not compete with some of the visceral realism of modern gore and horror. This film actually holds up in many ways by using creative perspectives to depict fake violence in a way that didn’t break immersion. The chainsaw and characters have so much presence that you probably won’t notice until after the film that it’s not even that graphic. Although it didn’t terrify me, it surprisingly made me feel something I didn’t feel from other horrors. This one felt oddly real with a story that I actually enjoyed. Normally for teen slasher films you kinda want them to die, reduced to gratuitous and mindless cathartic violence, but I felt something different in this one. Where did they come from, how did they come to be? Who are they? There are also many things that are done quite well - the dark gritty look with tense chainsaw sequences. Although at certain points the screaming just gets annoying after a while. There’s also maybe only one eye-rolling scene, which is pretty good for a slasher. This film would also go on to inspire the horror genre and our dread for meat hooks.
Conclusion:
Some of the sequences look fake by today’s standards, but it uncharacteristically didn’t distract me from the movie because of an overall well executed presentation. I think it’s definitely worth a watch to understand the history of horror and you might surprisingly find the story intriguing even if you don’t find it scary. I didn’t expect to find this much fun in an old slasher compared to convoluted plots today, which now seem even more shallow. But if you’re not heavy into horror, this might not be up your alley and maybe a modern, newer remake will be more relatable.
Recommendations
Making racial injustice feel like an urban myth.