The 2003 remake of the slasher classic had a lot riding against it given the cult popularity of the original film, released in 1974.
Leatherface – the human-mask-wearing, chainsaw-wielding, recluse inbred serial killer (yes, there’s a lot to unpack there) – entered himself into the Boogeyman Hall of Fame 50 years ago and history was written.
After all, there are few things more frightening than a man wearing an actual human face charging at you with a live chainsaw from behind a washing line.
The original Texas Chain Saw was so thrilling and fresh in the horror landscape that fans likely thought it couldn’t be topped. It is also one of the early OGs of the genre with its rival classic, Halloween, coming four years later.
Well, I’m here to argue that the 2003 remake is just as good, if not better.
When it was released, we were coming off the back of a booming slasher era thanks to the likes of Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and the grossly underrated Valentine. Then, the Texas Chainsaw remake entered the chat and held its own in a very competitive space.
With a slightly new title, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – the original is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, spot the difference – it very much followed the formula of the first film but with a modern twist. Even when a remake follows its original source close to the vein, it can still go horribly wrong (Psycho with Vince Vaughn, feel free to take that as a subliminal).
Biel, then in her early 20s and new to Hollywood, was the perfect casting choice as Erin, our remake Final Girl. Her survival decisions were *mostly* smart and she has that charming, familiar girl-next-door look about her that makes it easy to root for her until the end.
One of the things I appreciate the most about the 2003 version is that it simply delivers everything you want from a solid slasher. The pacing is perfect, with every scene and chapter meaningful and it nails the difficult balance of ramping up tension without overdoing it.
The suspense hits you right in the opening segment from the moment they pick up a hitchhiker in the car, to the group pulling up to the creepy old farmhouse in the middle of the desolate Texas fields. The formulaic yet satisfying slasher feels like even more of a marvel now when we’ve become so accustomed to newer subgenres such as found footage, supernatural and even elevated horror.
Sometimes, all you want is a good ol’ villain picking off a group of young adults and a hide-and-seek chase building up to a ceremonious finale where our Final Girl gets to live, and Texas Chainsaw (2003) had every bit of that.
It’s become a well-known trope that female protagonists are often sexualised and objectified in horror, a trope so prevalent that it became a famous joke in the spoof horror franchise Scary Movie. Who can forget Drew Barrymore’s iconic opening sequence in Scream being given a remix with Ghostface stabbing his bra-clad victim’s breast implant?
However, what I’ve always found refreshing about Biel’s turn as Erin is that her femininity wasn’t overtly reliant on her being half-naked. Her outfit for the entire film was pretty modest by horror standards – a pair of bootcut jeans and a white tank top that only showed a portion of her midriff. I always thought the character looked more badass than sexy and it wasn’t lost on me that she remained fully clothed for the most part.
Overall, Texas Chainsaw is one of the few remakes executed to a high standard but, naturally, not everyone agrees with me.
For some frankly outrageous reason, the 2003 slasher has a disappointing 37% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the glowing 84% of the original. However, on Google reviews, it’s right up there with 4.1 stars so, y’know, swings and roundabouts.
Even outside of horror, there aren’t many remakes you can truly say were just as good or better than the original but, for me, Texas Chainsaw is definitely up there with the best.
If you think the 70s vibe of the first film will put you off, Biel’s version perfectly honours what made the original so exciting yet modernised enough to still enjoy it 21 years later.
Just maybe skip some of the other sequels like Netflix’s entry into the franchise in 2022 because not every remake gets it right.