What could be scarier than a mute cannibal who runs around with a chainsaw? Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is regarded as a revolutionary film within the horror genre and shaped what would come of the slasher sub-genre till this day. The film came before “slasher” films existed, Hooper created a new breed of horror with his creation. As Richard Zoglin of TIME explained, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre “set a new standard for slasher films,” leaving an indelible mark on the horror genre. To this day, Leatherface remains one of horror’s most iconic figures, his terrifying persona paved the way for other silent-masked killers like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.
Leatherface’s influence has extended well beyond The Texas Chainsaw Massacre itself. The character popularized the use of unconventional, everyday tools as murder weapons in horror films. Think about any slasher film that has come out since the 1970s, Friday the 13th (1980), Halloween (1978), the Terrifier trilogy! Hooper’s creation would go on to inspire countless filmmakers. Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes (1977) was essentially a homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ridley Scott credited Hooper’s work as an inspiration for his 1979 film Alien. The film’s influence doesn’t end there, it gained fame for marketing itself as being based on “true events”. While the story wasn’t based on any known events, the character of Leatherface was directly inspired by the notorious serial killer Ed Gein, whose crimes shocked the world in the 1950s. Hooper explained that the decision to market the film as being based on true events was a reflection of the distrust the public had in institutions during the time, citing the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War, and the 1973 oil crisis as examples of the disillusionment people felt.
The film’s budget was extremely modest for the time being around $140,000 (~$800,000 with inflation), and most of the cast was relatively unknown, hailing from Central Texas where the film was shot. The budget caused the production process to be extremely harsh on the cast and crew. They worked seven days a week, 16-hours days, under grueling conditions. The temperature during filming would soar up to 110°F. Gunnar Hansen, who played Leatherface, said that they weren’t allowed to wash his Leatherface costume because there was only one available for the entire production process. The budget led to creative choices in its production. Hooper opted to use an Eclair NPR 16mm camera with Ektachrome Commercial film, which required more light than the standard film stocks of the time. This was in order to keep the costs down while allowing for more mobility, and they didn’t sacrifice much in terms of visual quality.
Hooper’s attempt to limit on-screen gore in order to secure a PG rating backfired when the film was slapped with an “X” rating by the MPAA. After some editing, it was eventually granted an R rating, but by then, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had already become the subject of intense controversy. It was banned in several countries and faced a great deal of criticism for its graphic violence. The film’s raw depiction of brutality was unlike anything that had come before, contributing to the growing sense that horror films were becoming more visceral and unapologetic.
One of the most debated aspects of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is its treatment of women. Critics and scholars have often discussed the film as a prime example of exploitation cinema, where female characters endure sadistic and brutal violence. Stephen Prince, in his analysis of the film, writes that the horror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre “is born of the torment of the young woman subjected to imprisonment and abuse amid decaying arms… and mobiles made of human bones and teeth.”
The film also features a trope coined by Carol J. Clover, in her article “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film” the “final girl” which would become a hallmark of the slasher genre. Sally Hardesty (played by Marilyn Burns) is tortured and brutalized but manages to survive the terror, helped by a male truck driver. While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre doesn’t completely adhere to the typical slasher formula, it does place significant emphasis on the violence committed against its female characters. Although three male characters are killed relatively quickly and without much fanfare, the death and abuse of the women are much more graphic and drawn out. One of the female characters, Pam, is hung on a meat hook in a particularly disturbing scene, while Sally is subjected to physical and psychological torment.
This focus on violence against women in the film has sparked a wide range of critical interpretations, with many viewing it as a reflection of deeper cultural anxieties surrounding gender roles, exploitation, and victimization in the horror genre. Again, Carol J. Clover, in her influential book Men, Women, and Chainsaws, writes that the female characters in films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre “are subjected to punishment for their sexuality or for transgressing the limits of socially accepted behavior,” thus positioning the violent acts as a way to enforce moral boundaries. She goes on to note that “the violence done to the women becomes a spectacle of its own,” highlighting how these portrayals of female suffering have a dual function of shocking and maintaining control over gender expectations in the audience. The film’s depiction of women as both survivors and victims offers a dark commentary on the ways in which exploitation cinema engages with both female suffering and survival.
Ultimately, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remains a cornerstone of horror cinema, a film that pushed boundaries, introduced unforgettable characters, and sparked conversations that continue to this day. From its low-budget roots to its groundbreaking influence on future slasher films, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre redefined what horror could be and set the stage for the genre’s evolution. Whether viewed as a brutal exploitation film or a complex social commentary, its impact on the genre is undeniable, and it continues to shape how we understand horror today.