SOURCE-Netflix
Yea figured yall would have to know I would review this one this October. The Chainsaw franchise has been a part of my life close to 45 years now. I heard sometime in 2021 that the newest TCM,which was filmed in Bulgaria in late summer 2020,was going straight to Netflix I was a bit worried. Before this entry the other two entries that got limited theatrical releases,Next Gen and Leatherface,are the two worst films in this franchise. But it is a chainsaw film and I must see every film in the series.
And a quick nitpick about this movie. How many fucking movies will we end up having in this franchise that are titled Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Sure I know the other two with a similar title do have the word THE at the front,and this one doesn't. But really who the hell calls the 1974 film THE Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Or the 2003 remake.
Somehow I lost track of what day of the week it was. I got up thinking it was a Thursday,headed out to the living room and boom there was the new TCM playing on the living room TV. I quickly exited the room. Ate a fast breakfast in the kitchen. Then went to my room armed with a drink and a bowl of popcorn to sit back and hopefully enjoy a new adventure with Leatherface.
I did somewhat enjoy it. But also until today I didn't bother watching it again. The only times this has happened before was once again with Next Gen and Leatherface. But with TCM 2022 I can say that it is better than both of those films. Just for all it gets right,there is enough flaws that take away from the good stuff.
The plot ...set in the modern day a group of Influencers buy a small Texas town. This town is where the Leatherface house is. And he ain't happy with all these annoying young people running around. Then Sally from the original film returns and her and 2 of the influencers fight off Leatherface.
See it doesn't sound that bad. Add in it has decent gore and it appears to be a good TCM film.
The flaws. The Leatherface mask in this film is horrible. I like how in most of the other films his mask looks like a patchwork flesh mask. In this film the mask appears to be one single piece of flesh. And it doesn't look like flesh. It looks like a latex or rubber mask.
Another flaw is this is suppose to be a direct sequel to the original film from 1974. Anyone that has seen the original knows the home of the Family is way way way far from any town. In this movie the family home is right there by the town???? Now sure maybe in the almost 50 years since the orignal happened a town might have grown in that area.
Then the biggest flaw. The two female leads,two of the influencers,plus the actress they got to play Sally are HORRIBLE. Yea I know Marylyn Burns has passed. But they could have gotten someone that can act to play Sally. The other two,I just didn't give a fuck about them. So about halfway through the film I was cheering on Leatherface to kill them.
The good stuff in the film is mostly the gore and FX. I'm betting lots of it was practical FX work mixed with some CGI. The actor they got to play Leatherface is pretty good. He is tall and massive. Which is two things an actor must have to be a good Leatherface.
Now my feelings on it might change after I watch it a few more times. But as of right now,after seeing it two times,I will put it above TCM part 4(next gen) and TCM Part 8 aka Leatherface. But belong every other TCM film.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) gets a C+