The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), directed by Tobe Hooper, is a landmark horror film that redefined the slasher genre. The story follows Sally Hardesty, her brother Franklin, and three friends as they travel through rural Texas to check on Sally’s grandfather’s grave, which may have been vandalized. Along the way, they encounter a strange hitchhiker and eventually stumble upon a remote farmhouse.
Inside lives a deranged family of cannibals, led by the terrifying figure known as Leatherface, a hulking man who wears masks made of human skin and wields a roaring chainsaw. One by one, Sally’s friends fall victim to gruesome deaths as Leatherface and his family brutally hunt them down.
The film builds relentless tension through disturbing sound design, documentary-style camerawork, and minimal gore, relying instead on atmosphere and psychological horror. By the end, Sally is the sole survivor, escaping in a frantic, blood-soaked flight while Leatherface swings his chainsaw wildly in the rising sun—a chilling image that has become iconic.
Though controversial upon release, the film has since been recognized as one of the most influential horror movies ever made, inspiring decades of sequels, remakes, and countless imitators.
