Texas Chainsaw (2013) Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Trey Songz, Scott Eastwood Movie Review

Texas Chainsaw (2013)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Alexandra Daddario in Texas Chainsaw (2013)

When in Texas

Following Sally's escape from Leatherface and his deranged family she informs the police of the notorious Sawyer family. But before the police can do anything a lynch mob arrives and burn then Sawyers and their home to the ground, except one, a baby girl who was found by a local and taken home to be raised as their daughter. Many years later and that baby girl is now Heather (Alexandra Daddario) who works in a butchers, makes art work out of bones and has just found out she is adopted after receiving a letter to say she has inherited a home in the country. With her friends they head to the house, picking up a hitchhiker on the way only to end up in for a huge surprise when they get there.

Unlike seemingly many I was never blown away by the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and as such have never felt that protective streak which some fans seem to have when it comes to sequels and remakes. It is also why when during the opening scenes of "Texas Chainsaw" that we get footage from the original spliced together, doctored with CGI before then trying to recreate the voices and what happened next I was not offended by it as fans of the original have been. But I can understand why some would be aggrieved at this because in many ways it makes "Texas Chainsaw" another movie which trades on the original's name and status rather than creating its own.

Scott Eastwood in Texas Chainsaw (2013)

This sense of using the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" name continues as what follows on from there is just another group of young people in a big house where a creepy killer lives in secret. Nothing wrong with that so much but when it comes to horror styling "Texas Chainsaw" is lacking and fails to create any real consistent atmosphere, relying on the shock of graphic violence as its only real weapon to entertain. The question is; how exciting can watching the psycho smash the crap out of victims be when that is all there is. Okay so there are some surprises along the way but no where near enough to make "Texas Chainsaw" work as a great horror movie.

But here is the simple fact. For those who grew up and watched the original "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" when it came out are likely to be disappointed by this movie. But for a modern audience raised on the numerous atmosphere less horror movies which pay more attention to being graphic it may well work as it is more comparable to modern teens on holiday than the original movie,

What this all boils down to is that "Texas Chainsaw" is a typical modern horror movie and as such might work for a modern audience who put more weight on the graphic nature of a movie. But for those who are huge fans of the original it lacks the atmosphere which makes it just another weaker movie trading on the originals name and status.


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