Best Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movies

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Netflix’s recent season of ‘Monster’ might have reminded you of Leatherface from ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ – the idea of someone wearing the skin of their victims. You’re not wrong! Filmmakers often draw “inspiration” from real serial killers, and Leatherface is, in part, based on the notorious Ed Gein.

Whether you’re here because you’re curious, feeling nostalgic, or just want to watch some classic horror, you’ve come to the right spot! We’ve put together a list of the best movies in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series.

What are the best Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies?

The original *Texas Chainsaw Massacre* from 1974 was a game-changer for horror, essentially launching the slasher film trend. While not all of the sequels and remakes have lived up to the first film’s impact, there are still several enjoyable ones – perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit with spooky corn mazes, chainsaws, and maybe even a creepy dinner invite.

Just a heads-up before we start: the movies we’re about to list are extremely intense and feature a lot of violence. And we haven’t ranked them in any particular order – though we think the first one is truly the best.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

When *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* first came out on October 11, 1974, people weren’t quite sure what to make of it. It was a very divisive film, but it has since become a classic in horror history. Created by independent filmmakers Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel with a small budget of $140,000 (about $700,000 today), it surprisingly earned over $30 million. Despite tough filming conditions in central Texas and difficulties finding a company to distribute it, *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* became the most profitable horror film since *The Exorcist* and remains one of the most influential horror movies of all time.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre tells the story of a group of friends whose road trip through the Texas countryside turns terrifying. They find an abandoned farmhouse and are systematically hunted, captured, and horrifically attacked by Leatherface and his cannibalistic family. Director Tobe Hooper attempted to minimize onscreen gore to achieve a PG rating – a surprisingly ambitious goal – but the film ultimately received an R rating. Beyond its horror elements and references to real-life killers, Hooper also took inspiration from the changing social and political landscape of the 1970s.

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

Despite the huge success of the first film, it took twelve years for a sequel to *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* to be made. The 1981 re-release of the original helped revive interest in Leatherface and his family, leading to the production of the second film. Director Tobe Hooper believed the first movie’s humor had been overlooked, so he decided to make the sequel much more comedic. This resulted in a bizarre film filled with exaggerated screams, slapstick, and a wildly unbelievable plot. While not everything landed perfectly, the movie received a mixed reaction from both audiences and critics.

This sequel picks up with radio DJ Stretch Brock (Caroline Williams) who unknowingly broadcasts a gruesome chainsaw murder on her show. This attracts the attention of the terrifying Sawyer family, who come looking for her at the station. At the same time, Lefty Enright (played with wild energy by Dennis Hopper), a former Texas Ranger, has been relentlessly pursuing the cannibalistic Sawyer family for years, seeking revenge for his niece and nephew’s deaths in the original film. If you can stay tuned, the movie builds to a shocking climax.

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Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)

It seems like Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger have always been famous, but before their big breaks, they were just starting out as actors after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. They were building their experience with student and independent films. While Renée Zellweger had a small part in *Reality Bites*, both actors were largely unknown when they began working on this movie. The film itself isn’t particularly well-made, but the strength of McConaughey and Zellweger’s performances are what make it memorable, and it’s clear why they quickly became stars.

I remember when this movie first came out – it was originally going to be called *The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre*, but they changed the title to *The Next Generation* when Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger started becoming really popular. The story follows Jenny, a high schooler whose prom night takes a terrifying turn when she and her friends get stranded in the Texas countryside. They accidentally end up at the house of a new branch of the Sawyer family, and things quickly go downhill with McConaughey playing a seriously unhinged character named Vilmer. It’s weird, but he’s actually captivating even as the villain!

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Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

While *The Next Generation* launched the careers of Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger, *Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III* gave a young Viggo Mortensen an early role as the unsettling but strangely likable Tex. He’s charming in a Southern way – occasionally polite, but completely unstable. New Line Cinema acquired the film and made it much more realistic and brutal than the original. Unlike the previous movie, the Sawyer family isn’t shown as silly or over-the-top; they’re frighteningly normal in every aspect except for their horrific habits of killing, mutilating, eating people, and decorating with human skin.

Making this movie was difficult from start to finish. The director, Jeff Burr, was even fired and then quickly brought back when they couldn’t find anyone else to take over. The story follows a couple having a really bad day – their car breaks down, and they’re pursued by Leatherface and his family. While the filmmakers aimed for the most gruesome film in the series, they had to remove almost four minutes of violent scenes due to censorship before it could be released.

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

In the early 2000s, horror remakes were everywhere. After the 2003 remake of *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* proved successful, many other classic horror films got the remake treatment – including *Dawn of the Dead* (2004), *The Amityville Horror* (2005), *House of Wax* (2005), *The Wicker Man* (2006), and *Halloween* (2007). It’s debatable whether any of these remakes were truly necessary, but many people fondly remember spending Friday nights at Blockbuster, searching for the perfect scary movie to rent for the weekend.

The 2003 remake of *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* follows the basic plot of the original but adds a harsher, more graphic style typical of early 2000s horror films. Produced by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes – a good indicator of its overall tone – it notably brought back some of the original 1974 film’s crew, including cinematographer Daniel Pearl. Interestingly, Pearl deliberately shifted the visual approach, moving away from the raw, documentary feel of the first movie and opting for a more traditionally cinematic and frightening atmosphere.

This 1973 horror film centers around a group of friends on a road trip through the Texas countryside. Their journey takes a terrifying turn when they offer a ride to a hitchhiker, leading them to a secluded farmhouse. There, they encounter Leatherface (played by Andrew Bryniarski) and his frighteningly dysfunctional family. Jessica Biel stars as Erin, showcasing a dramatic departure from her earlier role on the TV show 7th Heaven.

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How we picked the best Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies

What makes a “best” movie is always up for debate, and that’s especially true with the *Texas Chainsaw Massacre* series. Fans will all have different favorites. It’s tough to even pick the *best* movies in the franchise, since most of them haven’t been well-received by critics – most score below 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. The original film and its sequel are exceptions, with ratings of 84% and 50% respectively.

Besides the original 1974 film and its 1986 sequel, we’ve also included later movies that feature strong performances from actors who were just starting out. We also added the 2003 remake because it helped bring horror back into the mainstream, kicking off the trend of reboots that were popular in the early 2000s.

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2025-10-15 00:59