By Brent Snyder (Feb. 20, 2022)
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (streaming on Netflix) is the ninth instalment of the classic slasher franchise - but it's also what may be the fifth alternate timeline in what appears to becoming an ever-expanding multiverse. Much like "Halloween" in 2018, the new TCM ignores the various sequels, remakes, reboots and prequels that have come so far - and positions itself as a direct sequel to the original 1974 Tobe Hooper film.
Produced by Legendary and directed by Fede Alvarez ("Evil Dead," "Don't Breathe"), the new TCM centers on a group of young entrepreneurs from "the city" who plan to buy up cheap foreclosed property in the "ghost town" of deep rural Harlow, TX. - and turn it into some kind of progressive boho BnB tourist destination.
Problem is, not all of the surviving locals are happy with the "gentrifuckers" buying up their town - the least happy of them being none other than Leatherface, the chainsaw wielding maniac who has been laying low since the events of the original 1974 massacre. A tragic misunderstanding leads to a bigger - and bloodier - festival of mayhem.
Overflowing with gleefully bloody FX carnage, nihilistic black humor, superb cinematography and Easter eggs from the TCM franchise, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" delivers both winking fan service to longtime enthusiasts as well as an entertaining entry point for new viewers.
Highlights include:
Easter Eggs - The best of the various Easter eggs from the TCM franchise include the return of original narrator John Larroquette (this time in a DVD documentary about the "Unsolved Mystery" of the 1974 massacre. The sight of a vintage 70s van on the side of the road - that is revealed to be a County Sheriff vehicle - recalls both the 1974 original and the 2003 remake. And the return of the original "Final Girl" legacy character, Sally Hardesty (played by Olwen Fouere in place of the late Marilyn Burns), is a long-overdue (and welcome) addition to the mix.
The Dead Sunflowers - A sequence in a field of dead sunflowers - immortalized in the movie poster and various online memes - is both hauntingly beautiful and ferocious with white-knuckle intensity.
These Actors Can Actually Act - Standout performances by Elsie Fisher ("Despicable Me," "The Addams Family"), Sarah Yarkin ("Eat Brains Love," "Happy Death Day 2U"), Moe Dunford ("Vikings," "Game Of Thrones") and Alice Krige ("Silent Hill," "Star Trek: First Contact") breathe refreshing life into characters that feel a bit more real than those usually found in most slasher flicks.
The Party Bus Sequence - The most talked about moment of the film is 100 percent absolute bonkers. It's a showcase of gore FX that is both jaw-dropping in it's audacity and laugh-out-loud funny in its social commentary.
The Post Credits Scene - A familiar sight from the past points the way to a potential future.
Four Chainsaws - Brent-Bob says check it out!
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