Mania I.
A guilty pleasure. A direct sequel to the events of the original. I saw it in theaters in glorious 3D. Not much logic to it. But it has some moments of fun. Not the best sequel but not the worst by far. It's really about "family." One of Scott Eastwood's early screen appearances. Slickly produced but suffers from a poor script.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
10/28/25
Full Review
TheMovieSearch R
Released in 2013, Texas Chainsaw—also marketed as Texas Chainsaw 3D—attempted to breathe new life into one of horror’s most infamous franchises. Directed by John Luessenhop, the film serves as a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, ignoring many of the previous sequels and reboots in favor of re-establishing a fresh narrative. While the film tries to modernize the terror and honor the legacy of Leatherface, it unfortunately falls short of capturing the same grit, shock, and dread that made the original such a genre-defining experience.
The story picks up decades after the original massacre, following Heather Miller (played by Alexandra Daddario), who discovers she has inherited a mansion from a long-lost relative—unaware that Leatherface himself still lurks in the basement. It’s a setup that had great potential to merge family legacy with the horror mythology, and for a brief moment, it feels like the film might pull off something bold. But as the story unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that the writing leans too heavily on fan service and predictable beats rather than developing genuine fear or suspense.
The film’s biggest issue lies in its tone. Instead of embracing the raw, documentary-like realism that made the 1974 original so haunting, Texas Chainsaw 3D takes a glossy, stylized approach that removes the grime and tension that defined the series. The 3D gimmick only adds to this disconnect—it’s more spectacle than substance. Scenes that should be terrifying often feel staged and overproduced, with jump scares replacing the slow-burn horror that once made Leatherface such a terrifying figure.
Alexandra Daddario delivers a solid performance, grounding her character with a sense of curiosity and inner conflict. However, the script gives her little to work with beyond the surface-level “final girl” archetype. The supporting cast fares even worse, with thinly written characters whose sole purpose is to run, scream, and die in predictable fashion. Even Dan Yeager’s Leatherface, while physically imposing, lacks the mystery and menace of Gunnar Hansen’s original portrayal.
The screenplay attempts to tie the new film back to the original through flashbacks and legacy connections, but these efforts often feel forced and inconsistent. There’s an interesting idea buried beneath the chaos—about family loyalty, revenge, and the blurred line between victim and monster—but the execution never fully explores it. By the third act, the film pivots into almost absurd sympathy for Leatherface, asking the audience to root for him in a way that feels unearned and tonally jarring.
Ultimately, Texas Chainsaw 3D feels like a missed opportunity. It’s not an outright disaster, but it lacks the emotional and visceral punch that fans of the series expect. While it nods to its roots, it never recaptures the suffocating fear or raw unpredictability of Hooper’s masterpiece. Instead, it plays out as a slick, blood-soaked tribute that forgets the one thing that made the original unforgettable—its authenticity. The result is a horror film that looks the part but doesn’t feel it, more interested in surface thrills than in truly getting under the audience’s skin.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
10/25/25
Full Review
Rowan C
This movie had its ups and downs, but it was just such a mediocre movie. It seems like this movie connects directly to the universe of the Sawyer family, and it shows what happened right after the events of the first film. It shows how after Sally escaped, Sheriff Hooper (Thom Barry) and all of the locals gathered to kill the Sawyer family. A part of the locals was Gavin Miller (David Born) and Arlene Miller (Sue Rock), and Gavin discovered a baby being held by Loretta Sawyer (Dodie Brown). In the future, this baby would be known as Heather Miller (Alexandra Daddario) and she would inherit her biological grandmother Vernan’s (Marilyn Burns) house. She learns of this house and decides to go there with her friends instead of New Orleans. These friends are Nikki (Tania Raymonde), Ryan (Trey Songz) and Kenny (Keram). On the way there, they stop at a gas station and accidentally run over a hitchhiker named Daniel (Shaun Sipos). He requested a ride and they gave him one, because they felt bad that he was just run over. They finally get to the house and they all admire how big it is. Most of them leave to go to the town to get groceries, but Daniel stays and he says that he will take the bags inside. Little did they know, Daryl would try to rob the entire house. Daniel discovered a hidden door that led down the stairs and he used the big golden key to unlock a reinforced door. When entering, he would discover Leatherface (Dan Yaeger) who bashed his head in with a hammer. While out, Heather meets Mayor Burt Hartman (Paul Rae) and a police officer named Carl (Scott Eastwood). The cop was just stringing up conversation, but the Mayor was being weird because he was pushing Heather to give home a price so that he could buy the home she inherited. They get home and see that the place is trashed, but they move on from that quickly. Kenny makes dinner, while Ryan cheats on Heather with Nikki out in the bar and this has happened before. Kenny also discovers this secret door eventually, and becomes the next victim of Leatherface who is hiding in the basement. Heather was upstairs and she discovers a dead body, so she comes running down the stairs. She sees Leatherface in the kitchen cutting up fingers, and this is when he starts chasing after her. She tries hiding in the graveyard but eventually, Ryan and Nikki hear the chainsaw going off. The both of them hid inside the barn but Heather rammed the entrance with the van, so that they could all get out of there. Ryan makes it all the way to the gate and tries to ram it, but he fails. The gate opened and they were able to drive out. Leatherface got to them too quickly and he sliced right through their tire, which caused them to flip over down the road. Ryan dies from this accident, but Heather draws Leatherface away from Nikki and leads him to the carnival that was going on. Heather was saved by Officer Carl and Leatherface ran back into the woods after he dropped his chainsaw. Heather heads to the police station where Sheriff Hooper returns and he leaves the room for a moment to speak with Mayor Burt. They both discuss that Jedidah Sawyer must have escaped from the fire and Mayor Burt wants him dead immediately. Mayor Burt was the one who gathered all of the locals originally and burned down the Sawyers house because Sheriff Hooper was against that type of violence. Officer Marvin (James MacDonald) arrives at the scene where all of the bodies from the wreck have been drugged out. Mayor Burt orders this officer to follow the trail and kill Leatherface. He follows the blood trail all the way back to the house where he eventually sees all of the bodies. He opens up a freezer and Nikki scares him so bad, that he shoots her in the head. Officer Marvin comes back up the stairs, where Leatherface kills him with an axe. Mayor Burt is now hunting down Heather because he knows that she is related to that messed up family. Heather is running from all of this and she thinks she is saved when Officer Carl stops to pick her up. It turns out that he is Mayor Burt's son and Burt ordered him to bring Heather to the old slaughterhouse over the radio. Leatherface hears this over the radio and plans to meet them there with his chainsaw. Burt ties Heather up in the slaughter house and while he goes outside to see the others, Leatherface sneaks up behind Heather. Right before he tries to kill her, he sees the birthmark on her chest indicating that she is a part of the Sawyer family. Heather tells Leatherface that she is his cousin and he cuts her down. Burt and his friend Ollie (Ritchie Montgomery) sneak up on Leatherface, and start beating the crap out of him. Heather gets up, kills Ollie and tosses the chainsaw back to Leatherface. Sheriff Hooper arrives and he lets Leatherface kill Burt because he was a corrupt individual. Heather ends up taking care of Leatherface and in return, he protects her. Overall, I didn’t like Leatherface much in this movie and the movie just felt weak to me.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
10/21/25
Full Review
Maddox G.
do your thing cuz is the worst line i’ve ever heard in horror and movie history in general
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
10/11/25
Full Review
Yash B
I don't think the 2013 "Texas Chainsaw" movie, originally released in 3D, is a good movie, but I do think it is a bold swing. The movie only requires viewing of the original movie to follow, as it is a direct follow-up to that classic horror flick. This movie had some potential, but it ultimately becomes a generic mess that isn't all that engaging. I also think the way it plays out in the final act is really bonkers, and a lot of the stuff leading up to it doesn't make a lot of sense either. Overall, I think there is some occasional fun to be had as a slasher, but the movie is far from good, and doesn't go in a direction that I particularly liked.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
10/05/25
Full Review
Dustin H
There are two big reasons to watch this movie
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/27/25
Full Review
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