Review of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) by Manicure — 22 Nov 2020

Not to be confused with all its wacky sequels, "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is one of the subtlest exploitation films I had the pleasure to watch so far. I expected it to be one of those classic splatter films with guts flying everywhere, but was surprised to find out that all the violence is only suggested and left to the viewer's imagination.

All we get to see is the characters' reactions with hysterical closeups, disturbing sound effects, and confused camerawork. Even though the illusion sometimes gets spoiled by the unnatural acting and dialogues, the rough and gritty cinematography conveys a sense of rawness and reality that almost made everything look like a documentary.

Even though I have a feeling that most of the film's beauty came out unintentionally, probably as a lucky consequence of its budget limitations, it aged reasonably well and still hasn't lost its unique atmosphere.

It might not be enough for new viewers, but its impact on the slasher genre is undeniable.