Horror franchises from the 1970s and 1980s are notorious for having a ton of entries, with a lot of them being strange, to say the least. For some reason, even if the original film was very serious, these franchises are famous for being kooky, outrageous, and bad.
But for horror lovers, there's a lot of endearing qualities in these wacky movies. Just because something is bizarre, or just because it's different from the original, doesn't mean it doesn't have value. That's very much the story for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. While the first movie is full of grit and raw fear and is still seen as one of the scariest movies ever, the franchise as a whole ended up turning into a different kind of vibe.
In total there are eight Texas Chainsaw Massacre films, with one set to release in 2022, and like all series, there are hits and misses. Some of the entries maintain the seriousness of the original, but a few of them are far more silly than what people probably expected. There are several timelines to be found within these movies, reboots as well as remakes, retconned sequels, and even a prequel or two. It gets downright confusing, not only as a franchise but within the movies themselves.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre completely changed it up with its very first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. It took 12 years for this movie to come out, which seems like quite a while to wait between sequels, and the time difference really shows. While the original was massively gritty and raw with a relatively low sense of production, this one leans right into the 1980s cheesy factor.
It's essentially a parody of its predecessor, which is pretty unique for a franchise to do and especially so early. There were some comedy elements to the first Texas Chainsaw movie but it's hidden under a lot of scary stuff. This film really takes the comedy to the next level, focusing on those aspects even more than the horror of it all. Of course, there's still a good amount of blood and gore, and Leatherface with a chainsaw, but the tone and storyline are completely different from what fans of the first movie would expect.
Though this movie can be jarring at first, it's actually a lot of fun to watch, and noticing the moments directly parodied from the original movie is cool, especially with the tone change. Since its release, it's really gained a cult following among horror fans, and for good reason.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is very well-known for a few reasons, some good and some bad. In terms of the good, it marks some of the first major screen roles of Hollywood superstars Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger. Even though this movie is terrible, they both do a great job with their parts and are some of the main reasons it's somewhat watchable. In terms of the bad, it's seen as one of the worst films of the Texas Chainsaw franchise.
This film is truly just strange. Some people might find it fun and there are some pretty endearing elements, but a lot of it is just confusing and kind of hard to get through. Leatherface isn't actually the main villain here, which is offputting to a lot of people, as is the appearance of the character which some say is transphobic or insensitive. There are also characters with robot legs, and secret societies out to kill random people. It's just a very strange watch that feels long and somewhat anxiety-inducing.
It is however worth watching because it's very unique and also features one of the first appearances of McConaughey's famous "alright, alright, alright" catchphrase.
Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
There are some who don't think Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is the worst film in the franchise, and it is a potentially safe bet that those people think Texas Chainsaw 3D is. This addition to the series is a typical soulless slasher of the 2010s, with terrible characters and overly ridiculous 3D effects.
It's meant to be a direct sequel to the first film, but it has no similarities to the 1974 movie at all except for some cameos from the original cast. While the first movie embraced violence in the rawest way possible, Texas Chainsaw 3D is overproduced and hypersexualized. None of the characters are likable at all and the audience is just waiting for Leatherface to kill them. In the end, an antihero is made of the slasher villain, which was a decision highly criticized.
The script here is messy as could be, with fundamental flaws and plot holes one could drive a truck through. It's bad. While entertaining, it's just so bad and serves as one of the least-liked films of the series.