Every The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie, Ranked

Leatherface and *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* series are still around today, though it hasn’t been consistently successful for a while. The last three movies all tried to relaunch the franchise, but none of them really worked. Despite this, another *Texas Chainsaw* reboot is on the way. Compared to other major slasher franchises like *Halloween*, *Friday the 13th*, and *A Nightmare on Elm Street*, the story of the Sawyer family has been the most uneven in terms of both financial success and overall quality.

It’s easy to argue that the original 1974 film wasn’t designed for sequels. However, eight follow-up movies were made, including a remake and even a sequel to *that* remake. The quality of these sequels has been quite inconsistent.

9) Leatherface

The 2017 film *Leatherface* barely focuses on the character of Leatherface himself, and ultimately doesn’t deliver what fans expect from a movie with that title.

This movie tells an origin story, much like the 2007 film *Hannibal Rising*. However, that earlier film benefited from a strong performance by the late Gaspard Ulliel (*Moon Knight*). While it’s commendable that this new film tries a different approach, it ultimately feels slow and isn’t worth watching.

Stream Leatherface on Peacock.

8) Texas Chainsaw

Horror movies often require viewers to suspend disbelief, and that’s fine. The key is that any illogical moments should build suspense. A good example is from the original *Halloween*: when Michael Myers is chasing Laurie, she finds a rake blocking the door. She struggles with the door, and only breaks the glass and knocks over the rake to escape when Michael is almost upon her. This scene is effective because it creates a genuinely frightening and tense moment.

The film’s opening flashback to 1973, showing the Sawyer family’s deaths, creates a major logic problem. We see Heather (played by Alexandra Daddario) as a baby in that scene, but Daddario was 25 when the film was made in 2011, meaning she’d have to appear 14 years older in the 2012 scenes. While the idea of a long-lost relative teaming up with Leatherface was intriguing, this unrealistic aging issue, along with other problems, ultimately prevents the movie from succeeding.

Stream Texas Chainsaw on Peacock.

7) Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Similar to *Texas Chainsaw 3D*, the 2022 film *Texas Chainsaw Massacre* plays with the established timeline of the series, but in a way that’s more logical. It’s set 50 years after the original movie, and features Sally Hardesty as a seasoned Texas Ranger determined to finally stop Leatherface.

The film focuses on a frustrating group of young people attempting to gentrify a town near the original movie’s setting, not on the compelling character played by Elsie Fisher. While Fisher, known for her excellent performance in *Eighth Grade* and as the voice of Agnes in the *Despicable Me* films, does her best, the writing lets her down. Her character’s journey, involving surviving a school shooting and then taking up a gun herself, feels particularly insensitive. Despite this misstep, the film is still an improvement over *Leatherface* or *Texas Chainsaw 3D* because it finally delivers the gruesome violence fans expect and presents a somewhat coherent storyline.

Stream Texas Chainsaw Massacre on Netflix.

6) The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Similar to the first film, *The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre* (also known as *Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation*) was heavily edited by the studio. Director Kim Henkel and co-producer Robert Kuhn even filed a legal claim stating the studio didn’t plan to release it at all. The reason? The rising popularity of stars Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, thanks to their roles in *Jerry Maguire* and *Dazed and Confused*, led the studio to reconsider the film.

You know, it’s funny – the version everyone *should* have seen first was way more biting and actually worked. But it only played in a handful of cities – just 27, as a test run. Then, two years later, they released a butchered re-cut, and *that* only got 23 theaters. Honestly, the movie was doomed from a financial standpoint. And watching even the better original cut, you can see why the studio was hesitant about a wide release. It takes some big risks! I mean, the characters are totally over-the-top, Leatherface does drag *once*, and there’s this whole weird subplot about the Sawyer family being pawns in some secret society that’s trying to…help people cope with trauma through murder? It’s seriously strange, but every so often, you catch a glimpse of something truly unique and cool.

5) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Similar to the 2003 remake, *Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning* uses a muted color scheme to good effect. However, the film doesn’t really offer anything new that Platinum Dunes didn’t already accomplish in the first remake.

Despite some positive aspects, this installment is ultimately flawed. The film boasts a strong cast including Jordana Brewster, Matt Bomer, and Diora Baird, and R. Lee Ermey has a significant role. It’s also notable for its disturbing violence and a surprisingly unpredictable conclusion – the most shocking of all the movies in the series.

4) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Marcus Nispel’s remake of *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* showed that the story could be updated and still be effective decades later. While it successfully recreated the original film’s natural lighting style, it unfortunately felt more like a typical big-budget movie than the gritty, realistic ‘mockumentary’ that made the 1974 version so impactful and enduring.

The early 2000s saw a wave of horror remakes led by Platinum Dunes, a company co-founded by Michael Bay. Their first film was a big hit, which led them to remake classics like *Friday the 13th* and *A Nightmare on Elm Street*. While the remakes of *Leatherface* and *Friday the 13th* were generally well-received, the *Nightmare on Elm Street* remake didn’t fare as well. This initial *Leatherface* remake did a lot right, particularly in portraying the character’s raw, terrifying physical strength. It also contains one of the most disturbing scenes in the entire franchise: when Leatherface is shown wearing the face of his victim, Kemper.

3) Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

While not as strong as the first two *Texas Chainsaw Massacre* movies, *Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III* is a hidden gem from the ’90s. It’s a welcome return to the straightforward horror style of the original, and for the most part, that really works in its favor.

Similar to the movie it spawned, *Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III* was heavily cut by the studio, New Line Cinema. This was due to the film initially receiving an X rating, though neither the original nor the re-edited version contains anything deserving of such a restriction. If you’re watching it for the first time, the unrated cut is the way to go; it simply clarifies the already thin plot. *TCM III* is a fairly standard entry in the series, not adding much to the overall story, but succeeding through its atmosphere, unique style, and suspenseful scenes set in the woods. An early performance by Viggo Mortensen and the appearance of Ken Foree from *Dawn of the Dead* also contribute to making it one of the stronger films in the franchise.

2) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

As a horror fan, I’ve always felt *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2* doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It really improves on the humor of the first sequel, and the practical effects are fantastic. Plus, Caroline Williams and Bill Moseley deliver truly iconic performances. Even with its dedicated cult following, it’s still seriously underrated in my opinion.

Though released twelve years after the first film, *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2* didn’t entirely satisfy fans, it still delivers some scares. It maintains the ominous atmosphere of the original, and Dennis Hopper’s character is sometimes as unsettling as the Sawyer family. The film opens with a particularly tense highway scene. Ultimately, this is the strongest entry in the *Texas Chainsaw Massacre* series, and the franchise might have benefited from ending here.

Stream The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 on Prime Video.

1) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Tobe Hooper’s *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* is a landmark horror film. It’s truly frightening and disturbing, with a raw, realistic feel that makes it feel like a living nightmare. The film’s unsettling believability completely draws you in and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Very few horror movies from the 1970s were as impactful. Films like *The Exorcist* and *Halloween* were also well-made and thought-provoking, but *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* stands out for being perfectly executed and still terrifying today. Its understated approach is a key reason why it continues to resonate with audiences.

Stream The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Netflix.

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2025-09-22 03:14