MIFF 2025 Film Review - Chain Reactions/The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Images courtesy of Common State.
Chain Reactions is a celebration of the 50 year anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The original film, shot in 1974, from director Tobe Hooper is arguably one of the most influential horror movies ever made. Chain Reactions is a nod to this influence by inviting a wide cast from directors to film critics, writers and even a comedian, to discuss how the film influenced themselves and film culture globally. If you were expecting a Making of Texas Chain Saw documentary then you will be disappointed (see instead The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth for some great insights into the filmmaking process). Chain Reactions instead wants to hone in on why the film was as influential as it was, and delves to perhaps some of the deepest levels of insight I’ve ever seen in relation to discussion of a horror movie. It raises some great points of discussion, including the way that the entire movie’s found-footage feel results in a sense of uneasiness whilst watching, and how it took around ten years for Australia to be able to view the film due to the classification system. As was brought up in Chain Reactions, despite the title, the original film isn’t actually particularly gory, and at times feels extremely goofy. But these traits all add to the unlikely charm of the film that makes it timeless. From the disturbing relationship dynamics between the family members and how it plays out when the victims stumble upon their house makes for an extremely engaging character study.
For a special treat, the crew at MIFF decided to present the screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in its original Australian VHS release. Lovingly included were classic pre-roll commercials for B-grade action flicks, and a yellow-like filter as a result of the degraded film quality from the original Australian VHS releases. As described in Chain Reactions, the way Texas Chain Saw is filmed feels almost like a crime scene recording, and the lower quality further amplifies that sense of watching something that’s been documented, but that you were never meant to see. The 2003 remake film of the same name tried but failed to go for this aesthetic - it’s something only the original film was able to accomplish.
For fans of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or fans of horror in general, it was definitely a night worth remembering and a nice trip down memory lane.
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Chain Reactions is screening as part of the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre screened at the festival for a special event screening. For tickets and more info, click here.