By Jade Gatling

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is an enjoyable horror movie that serves its purpose of entertainment. The film is based on the previous sequels of “Texas Chainsaw,” which was directed by various people over the years. 

The movie managed to be entertaining because it was very underdeveloped. It is difficult to figure out what was expected from fans that disliked the film; many comments explained that the horror elements and drama were not created in a severe manner. 

The remake of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was very controversial, with some fans criticizing those that seemed to enjoy the movie. There were conflicting viewpoints coming from those who liked it and others that did not. 

It is understandable to view the perspective of both horror fans and non-horror fans. Horror constantly remains a debatable genre because it is subjective. All movies are not required to have socio-political commentary or hidden messages; some are created for entertainment. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was a humorous and enjoyable film. 

There was a lot of creativity that could have been expressed in scenes, especially the desert. The environment is a perfect place for a horror film because of the lack of resources, places and houses. However, the camerawork is very boring, bland and forgettable. 

The film did have a couple of scenes where they used surrounding elements to create a suspenseful atmosphere. There was a scene where Leatherface (Mark Burnham, “Wrong Cops”) appears on the tour bus and begins to threaten and potentially kill the young characters. 

The blue light in the bus gives an ominous and unique presence to the scene. The characters do not know if their lives are going to end. 

The performances of the characters were mediocre. The film mainly focuses on a group of young people trying to navigate through the desert. It is hard to find a likable character because they are very dull.

Each character is two-dimensional. It is hard to feel sympathetic towards them. When Leatherface murders them, there are no feelings of grief or sadness. 

The film’s dialogue and plot structure made it difficult to feel empathy for any of the characters. A particular detail about the film is the reaction to each character becoming injured by Leatherface. 

Some characters react in an over-dramatic manner, while others do not scream when attacked. It felt inconsistent and unrealistic. It is interesting to wonder if the conversations in the film were created to make the audience intentionally laugh. 

While Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a humorous film to watch, it does not incorporate any innovative ways to tell a story. It seemed the film capitalized off of cliches of the horror genre and used them for financial gain. 

This financial motivation could work if the movie followed a consistent story structure and had thought put into the scenes. This movie did not need to exist; it added nothing new to the original story of “Texas Chainsaw.” 

There is always room for improvement. However, directors need to respect and give credit to the original movies. Recreating franchises only highlights the creativity of the previous films.

Image from Netflix via YouTube