The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a slasher film directed by Tobe Hooper and tells the story of 5 young people who in search of gas for their van, stumble upon a house inhabited by a family of cannibals, but escaping won't be easy, because one of their family members, Leatherface, is after them. Released in 1974, it's one of the earliest films in the slasher genre. The film was a box office success and recieved critical acclaim, and is regarded as one of the best horror films of all time.
THE GOOD
We're talking about a classic here, and yes, it's indeed an absolute classic! This movie is a flawless blend of relentless suspense, terror and realistic violence. This entire film has a very unsettling tone, it's very different from something like Halloween or Friday the 13th. The film is feels very different than normal, there's a lack of musical score, it never feels theatrical, it's very unique. If this movie came out today it would probably be a found footage film. The directing is absolutely perfect. The movie flows very well, it feels natural. The tone as I have said before is very unsettling, which is the tone you want for this film. The violence is very realistic, but not gory at all. There's very little blood but you can tell the characters are in pain when they get killed, and when they get hit in the head, their bodies twitch, and unlike a lot of future slasher movies there's no terrible editing to hide all the violence. The acting is really good, nothing Oscar worthy but it works just perfectly for this movie. The cinematography is artistic, Tobe Hooper does a great job of letting shots breathe instead of cutting constantly. The final act is extremely intense, it's relentless and vicious. It's a great example of perfect horror filmmaking.
THE BAD
My only problem is the victim characters. They are just there to die. Yes, this is a slasher film but this was before Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, this isn't really a trope yet so it would've been nice to have us care a bit more about the characters.
CONCLUSION
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a fantastic horror film. It's wonderfully directed and filled to the brim with relentless tension. It's not the goriest slasher film out there but if you love horror and want to get into the classics, this is one to check out!
9.5/10
FILM INFO
MPA rating: R (N/A)
Release date: October 11th, 1974
Run time: 83 mins
Studio: Bryanston Distributing Company
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