If horror franchises are as unstoppable as the antagonists that made them famous, then the exploits of famed slasher Leatherface are pretty indestructible. Through decades of infamy, and various sequels that have taken the Texas Chainsaw Massacre saga in different directions, no one’s been able to stop this chainsaw wielding maniac from carving his niche in the world of frightening entertainment. Just five years after the most recent attempt to revitalize Tobe Hooper’s vision of terror, this latest entry into the canon of original Netflix movies is ready to give the world a violent and surprisingly funny looking return to Harlow, Texas.
Operating on a similar principle to that of the 2018 Halloween reboot, the trailer for the Netflix original legacy-quel sees a new generation of young would-be victims rolling into the town that Leatherface and his kin call home. (One of whom happens to be Eighth Grade star Elsie K. Fisher.) Acting as a direct sequel to the 1974 original, this group of entrepreneurs are looking to turn this locale into something real special. Though this new crew know nothing about the history that plagues this area, one person who know is all too well is returning for another showdown: Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré,) the sole survivor of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Among the gruesome and wonderfully flashy kills you’d expect from a Texas Chainsaw Massacre is also a surprising streak of humor ready to indulge in pitch black laughs. As the story credits go to Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues, the team that also brought us a rebooted vision of the Evil Dead franchise, that shouldn’t be a total surprise. Then again, could you have really predicted the gag where a bus full of influencers try to “cancel” Leatherface?
The laughs don’t interfere with the screams director David Blue Garcia is looking to mine in this most recent refueling of the Sawyer family bodycount. These influencers are still running scared in the middle of nowhere, and while there might be cell reception present, that’s not going to stop a chainsaw or various other implements of bodily harm from cleaving through the victims. In the end, the game is the same and there’s only two questions that need to be answered when all is said and done: who will survive, and what will be left of them?
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another example of a sequel that ignores a good portion of continuity, while tipping its saw towards bits of history here and there. Mixing the deadly serious approach of that first movie, with some of the tongue-in-cheek laughter that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 introduced into the mix, could be the key to breaking the curse so many sequels have suffered over the years. Of course, it always helps to have a good luck charm, like having John Laroquette, the narrator of the 1974 original and 2003 reboot, tagging along for the ride.
Those of you looking to open your heart to Texas Chainsaw Massacre won’t need to wait too long, as it will debut exclusively on Netflix starting February 18th. Acting as only one of the many titles that make up the 2022 Netflix movie schedule, there's plenty more where this return to gorier pastures came from. Though you may want to read up on what we know about this legacy-quel, so you can better prepare yourself for what's to come.
