Review of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) by Thequietgamer — 31 May 2019

Those hoping for any sort of nuanced exploration into what caused the Hewitt family to become so depraved will be disappointed. This origin story has only the briefest mention of some P.O.W. related trauma so Leatherface and his relatives are just depicted as psychos from the get-go. We see how they got their start at butchering random travellers though and with plenty of little revelations about stuff from the 2003 film (like how Sheriff Hoyt lost his front teeth). However, it's not like anyone is looking for any real depth here anyways. We're here to see people get killed and on that front the movie delivers in grotesquely satisfying ways.

The opening birthing sequence feels like something straight out of an exploitation flick. In fact the whole thing is so much more grindhouse than its predecessor that I imagine it will have a hard time appealing to the more mainstream horror audience. The increased amount of torture and nastiness have definite hardcore appeal. The real improvement are found in the pacing though. There's not a moment of downtime on the way to the incredibly bleak ending and that makes a lot of difference.

There's no depth or any reason to care about anybody onscreen, but if you enjoy occasionally trekking through the muck and mire this entrail laden journey can provide a good time. If you have a strong stomach that is. Proof that even if your movie is sadistic, it doesn't have to be miserable to watch. At least not from an entertainment standpoint.

7.