Name: Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Released: 2022-02-18T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Jacob Latimore, Moe Dunford

The opening scene of David Blue Garcia’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) sets the tone with eerie precision: a lone figure in a desolate cemetery, arranging corpses into grotesque displays. It’s an unsettling image, one that hints at the film’s willingness to embrace the macabre. Nearly 50 years after Tobe Hooper’s original, Garcia’s reboot attempts to revive the franchise by pitting Leatherface against a group of idealistic influencers who stumble into his carefully hidden world.

The film’s strongest moments lie in its commitment to visceral horror. Mark Burnham’s portrayal of Leatherface is particularly effective, channeling the character’s raw, unhinged energy with a physicality that makes every encounter tense and unpredictable. The sound design amplifies this, with the iconic chainsaw buzzing like a lethal heartbeat, a constant reminder of the threat lurking just out of sight. Garcia also understands the value of atmosphere, using the remote Texas setting to create a sense of isolation that heightens the dread.

Yet for all its gory set pieces and moments of genuine terror, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) struggles to find a compelling reason to exist beyond nostalgia. The influencers at the heart of the story—played by Sarah Yarkin as Melody, Elsie Fisher as Lila, Jacob Latimore as Dante, Moe Dunford as Richter, Jessica Allain as Catherine, and Nell Hudson as Ruth—are underdeveloped, their arcs reduced to predictable slasher tropes. Their idealism feels tacked on, a half-hearted attempt to inject social commentary into what is ultimately a shallow exercise in gore.

The film’s pacing stumbles in the middle act, bogged down by filler scenes that do little to advance the plot or deepen character relationships. Even the final girl trope, once a hallmark of the franchise, feels hollow here, devoid of the emotional weight that made Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré) such an iconic figure in Hooper’s original. The lack of subtext—something even Ti West’s X managed to weave into its homage—leaves the film feeling like little more than a series of jump scares and gory kills.

Garcia’s direction is competent but lacks the inventive flair that could have elevated the material. While he effectively utilizes the chainsaw as a lethal instrument, his reliance on familiar slasher conventions limits the film’s impact. The cinematography, though technically sound, rarely ventures beyond standard horror tropes, missing opportunities to create truly memorable or unsettling imagery.

Comparisons to Hooper’s 1974 original are inevitable, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) falls short in nearly every regard. Hooper’s film was a groundbreaking exploration of violence and societal decay, using the horror genre to comment on the political climate of its time. In contrast, Garcia’s reboot feels like a hollow imitation, devoid of the deeper themes that made the original so resonant. Even the 2003 remake, which Roger Ebert famously panned with a rare 0-star review, had a certain unapologetic brutality that gave it a grim coherence.

The film’s attempts at social commentary—such as the influencers disrupting Leatherface’s world—feel superficial and poorly integrated. The script never fully commits to exploring the implications of its premise, leaving the audience with a sense of missed potential. The moral challenge that Hooper’s original posed, using violence to make viewers think about animal rights and human dignity, is entirely absent here.

Performances are another weak point. While Burnham’s Leatherface is a standout, the rest of the cast struggles to make an impact. Elsie Fisher, known for her nuanced work in Eighth Grade, is particularly miscast as Lila, her character reduced to a one-dimensional victim. Sarah Yarkin and Jacob Latimore fare slightly better but are hampered by underwritten roles that offer little depth or development.

The film’s score, while serviceable, lacks the haunting quality of Hooper’s original theme. The music often feels generic, failing to elevate the tension or emotional weight of key scenes. This is a missed opportunity, as a truly memorable score could have helped distinguish Garcia’s reboot from its predecessors.

In the end, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) is a competently made but ultimately forgettable entry in a storied franchise. It delivers on the promise of blood and chaos but fails to offer anything new or memorable beyond that. The film is likely to appeal primarily to die-hard fans of the series, who may appreciate the nostalgic nods and gory set pieces. However, for casual viewers or those seeking a fresh take on the slasher genre, it offers little reason to tune in.

The lack of originality and depth makes Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) feel like a missed opportunity. While Garcia’s direction is technically sound and Burnham’s performance as Leatherface is noteworthy, the film ultimately falls short of the high bar set by Hooper’s original.