The problem with many horror movie franchises is that due to lack of new ideas brought by their authors (who tend to solely exploit the trademarks and fundamentals of the original work instead of contributing something of their own) sequels/prequels lack originality, are too derivative, formulaic and overall subpar. None of these applies to the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel entitled "Leatherface".
"Leatherface", directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury ("À l'intérieur") is an example of a very well done prequel – to a certain extent reminiscent of the original work of Tobe Hooper, containing multiple references thereto as well (like the grandfather slamming a victim with a hammer and killing him with a single hit, as the granddaddy is in his prime here), but nevertheless original, self-reliant and solid piece of work.
The biggest achievement of the directors is a successful mixture of genres: a horror movie, a rural shotgun crime film and a mystery. An "asylum horror movie" could also be added to these as a sub-genre, however I have intentionally omitted it as the scenes taking place in the asylum were my least favorite (somewhat derivative, similar to Rob Zombie's "Halloween" prequel and other asylum horrors). The events taking place after the asylum part are much more interesting and exciting. The diner shootout (reminiscent of Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers") is classic on its own terms. Then comes the mystery (big twist) part that I am not going to elaborate on (in order not to spoil anything). And, finally, the kid-to-monster metamorphosis (both, physical and moral) was done immaculately.
A few words about the cast: it was good! The characters felt real, there was no overacting (or just bad acting) that we often see in horror films. Lili Taylor, Jessica Madsen and Sam Strike did a great job.
Visual and special effects are topnotch. The movie is ultraviolent – just the way a full-fledged Texas Chainsaw Massacre film should be. The ability to create amazing violent scenes on screen was demonstrated by Bustillo and Maury in their prior work (primarily, in "À l'intérieur"). The imagery (rural landscape, Sawyers' house, killing weapons, etc) is spot on and consistent with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The only way in which "Leatherface" is not fully consistent with its predecessor is that the latter is a dark comedy, while the prequel somewhat lacks the comic and the whole "Grand Guignol" elements of the original. This is only a minor issue though and does not affect the quality of the film in any way, especially if we consider that the film is already a mixture of various genres (as described above).
In a nutshell, "Leatherface" is one of the best installments in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and is a great horror movie on its own terms. Definitely recommended to all horror fans.
"Leatherface", directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury ("À l'intérieur") is an example of a very well done prequel – to a certain extent reminiscent of the original work of Tobe Hooper, containing multiple references thereto as well (like the grandfather slamming a victim with a hammer and killing him with a single hit, as the granddaddy is in his prime here), but nevertheless original, self-reliant and solid piece of work.
The biggest achievement of the directors is a successful mixture of genres: a horror movie, a rural shotgun crime film and a mystery. An "asylum horror movie" could also be added to these as a sub-genre, however I have intentionally omitted it as the scenes taking place in the asylum were my least favorite (somewhat derivative, similar to Rob Zombie's "Halloween" prequel and other asylum horrors). The events taking place after the asylum part are much more interesting and exciting. The diner shootout (reminiscent of Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers") is classic on its own terms. Then comes the mystery (big twist) part that I am not going to elaborate on (in order not to spoil anything). And, finally, the kid-to-monster metamorphosis (both, physical and moral) was done immaculately.
A few words about the cast: it was good! The characters felt real, there was no overacting (or just bad acting) that we often see in horror films. Lili Taylor, Jessica Madsen and Sam Strike did a great job.
Visual and special effects are topnotch. The movie is ultraviolent – just the way a full-fledged Texas Chainsaw Massacre film should be. The ability to create amazing violent scenes on screen was demonstrated by Bustillo and Maury in their prior work (primarily, in "À l'intérieur"). The imagery (rural landscape, Sawyers' house, killing weapons, etc) is spot on and consistent with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The only way in which "Leatherface" is not fully consistent with its predecessor is that the latter is a dark comedy, while the prequel somewhat lacks the comic and the whole "Grand Guignol" elements of the original. This is only a minor issue though and does not affect the quality of the film in any way, especially if we consider that the film is already a mixture of various genres (as described above).
In a nutshell, "Leatherface" is one of the best installments in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and is a great horror movie on its own terms. Definitely recommended to all horror fans.