Its hard to believe that Marcus Nispel’s reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre turns 20 this year.
At this time, this was one of the first major franchises to get the glossy Hollywood treatment and would set off a chain of remakes that had varying degrees of success.
I can recall seeing this in the cinema and while I’m not a massive fan of the original, I found this a refreshing and entertaining watch.
While horror fans can argue about where the 2003 reboot ranks, there is no denying the money it made; cashing in over $100 million at the box office. This showed that with a decent budget, a fresh faced cast and a recognisable monster horror could rule the box office once again.
You have the up-and-coming Jessica Biel and Jonathan Tucker plus the appeasement of yesteryear with R Lee Ermey, who many will recognise from Full Metal Jacket, effectively playing a not so distant cousin of that character.
Stepping into the shoes of Leatherface would be Andrew Bryniarski, who had often played heavies as well as Max Schreck’s son in Batman Returns. The imposing Bryniarski would give a memorable turn as Thomas Hewitt, the man-child, chainsaw-wielding maniac.
The premise is largely the same, and Nispel makes the choice of making Chainsaw 2003 a period piece, set in 1973. The cinematography is hot and sweaty and really captures of the air being sucked out of the locations.
For the kills, it does hit a couple of familiar beats but this Chainsaw is much more nihilistic and nasty, and while Hooper’s version is arguably more restrained, Nispel wants to see the blood flow.
One of the most effective is Leatherface chasing one would-be victim through bedsheets before sawing one of their legs clean off. The finale as Biel’s Erin battles Leatherface in the nearby pig farm is intense and shows how Nispel can craft tension and offer something different.
Texas Chainsaw 2003 feels like the ushering in of the torture porn era, where we linger on suffering and gore. Saw would arrive a year later and then Hostel would rubber stamp this new sub-genre, but it feels like Chainsaw was sowing the seeds of change.
Nispel would return to Leatherface for a prequel; TCM: The Beginning in 2006 and while it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the remake, is certainly disposable gory fun.
Is it the best horror remake of this period? I would argue so, with Halloween continuing the polarise to this day, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street making initial good money before slipping into box office hell. Black Christmas from 2006 has been re-appraised in recent years but continues to be a frustrating and disjointed watch whereas My Bloody Valentine, in 3D was a pleasant surprise that improves as time goes on.
Another notable mention would Alex Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes, which benefited from having Wes Craven consult on the film, and arguably make a superior film to the original. Sorority Row is another reboot that has gained a considerable cult audience since arriving on streaming platforms.
Other flops worth noting are The Omen, When a Stranger Calls, The Hitcher, Prom Night and April Fool’s Day.
What do you think; is Texas Chainsaw Massacre the best horror remake of the 2000s? Let us know in the comments.
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