The Texas Chain Saw Massacre franchise is a cornerstone of horror cinema. Since the first brutal encounter with Leatherface in the seventies, the series has taken many forms, from dead-serious terror to pitch-black comedy.
Here is the ranking of all nine films, from the biggest disappointment to the absolute masterpiece.
9. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
This Netflix attempt tries to follow the formula of modern legacy sequels, but the result is disappointing. A group of influencers wants to gentrify a deserted Texas town, and an elderly Leatherface has other plans. The film makes a forced attempt to touch on current themes, and the return of Sally Hardesty feels like a missed opportunity.
8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
Before they became world-famous, Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger starred in this bizarre installment. The film takes a strange path by making the murderous family part of a secret Illuminati-like organization. McConaughey’s acting is extremely over the top, and the original tone of the series has completely vanished. The production sat on the shelf for years before it was finally released.
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
This prequel to the 2003 remake focuses on the origins of Leatherface. We see him making his first mask and losing his job at the slaughterhouse. The film relies heavily on explicit violence and torture scenes, but it lacks the underlying tension that made the original so strong. R. Lee Ermey returns as the sadistic Sheriff Hoyt, providing the necessary menace in an otherwise fairly standard slasher.
6. Leatherface (2017)
French directors tried to give the franchise a psychological twist with this origin story. We follow a group of escaped psychiatric patients, with the film keeping the viewer in doubt for a long time as to which of them will eventually pick up the chainsaw. It feels more like a brutal road movie than a classic Texas Chainsaw film. Only in the final minutes do we see the transformation into the iconic killer.
5. Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
This installment ignores all sequels and connects directly to the 1974 film. A young woman discovers she has inherited a mansion, including her notorious cousin in the basement. The film tries to portray Leatherface almost as an anti-hero, a choice that sparked significant debate. While the timeline makes little sense, the 3D effects and the return to the original atmosphere make it entertaining for some fans.
4. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
In an early role, we see Viggo Mortensen as a member of the cannibalistic family. The film had a lot of potential, but due to heavy censorship, very little of the violence remained in the theatrical version. The unrated version is much stronger and shows that this installment tried to maintain the raw energy of the series.
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Director Tobe Hooper returned for this sequel and chose a radical change in style. The film is a pitch-black comedy full of bizarre characters, such as Chop Top. Dennis Hopper plays a vengeful ex-ranger armed with his own chainsaws to take on the family. The sets of the underground hideout are fantastic, and the film has since grown into a major cult classic.
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
This remake succeeds in translating the grim and dirty atmosphere of the seventies into a more modern look. It looks gray and ominous. Jessica Biel delivers a strong lead performance, and Leatherface is more terrifying and brutal here than ever. The film was a major commercial success and proved that a classic horror story, with the right direction, can also work for a new audience.
1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The original remains the undisputed masterpiece. With a minimal budget, Tobe Hooper created a film that feels like a fever dream. The horror here does not come from liters of blood, but from suggestion and chilling sound design. The dinner scene at the end is one of the most uncomfortable moments in film history. It is a raw, documentary-style experience that changed the genre forever.
