The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (R)
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Caution: spoilers.

This came out in 1974, the year before I was born. I didn't see it until 2025. It's not really something I've ever been super interested in seeing, but I did kind of want to watch it, because it's kind of a seminal slasher film. In fact, it basically ushered in the modern slasher era, and introduced several tropes. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it at all. I thought the dialogue was awful, the story practically non-existent, the acting wasn't really good. I guess it's scary enough, but not nearly the scariest horror movie I've seen. It's definitely horrifying, but... I dunno, I guess the kills just aren't very inventive. I found myself thinking that the Wrong Turn franchise, which began in 2003, has almost exactly the same premise as this movie, but was executed better (in terms of acting, writing, cinematography, and just overall horror). And I'm not even a big fan of those movies. I'm certainly glad I finally got around to watching this movie, I don't feel like it was a waste of my time. But I don't understand why it's so popular.

Anyway, there are these five friends: Sally, Jerry, Kirk, Pam, and Sally's brother Franklin (who is in a wheelchair). They're driving in a van to visit the dilapidated, long-abandoned old house that belongs to Sally and Franklin's family. (I'm not sure if that was meant to be the final destination on their road trip, or just one stop along the way.) Before they get there, they pick up a crazy hitchhiker, which turns out to be a mistake. He eventually cuts Franklin's arm, then they all kick him out of the van. They stop at a gas station, but it has no gas, so they continue on to the old house. While there, Kirk and Pam decide to go look for a nearby swimming hole or whatever, but it's all dried up now. Then they find another house, and Kirk hopes to ask if they can buy some gas there. At first it seems like no one is home, but it's not long before someone appears and bashes Kirk over the head, while Pam was waiting outside. She goes in to look for him, and is also killed. Later, Jerry goes looking for the two of them, and is also killed. Later still, Sally and Franklin go looking for them... and I guess to preserve some sense of mystery, I won't say what happens after that.

I did kind of like how, early in the movie, the friends were talking about cattle being slaughtered for food, and one of the girls (I forget which one) said that shouldn't happen. It parallels what happens to the friends, later in the movie, so I guess that's one bit of vaguely decent writing, foreshadowing or whatever. But other than that, the writing just seemed pretty bad, to me. And the main killer, who is apparently called "Leatherface", didn't seem very interesting, to me. I dunno, maybe he gets more interesting in the sequels, but I have no interest in watching them. For now, he's just a brute with a chainsaw (among other weapons). I really wish I could have liked the movie more than I did, but at least I'm grateful for the influence it had on other horror films and filmmakers.