The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
By Beth Pratt,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Hard to do worse than this extremely gory mess.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
In this remake it's still 1973, but you would never know it by the fashions and hairstyles of the hip young cast. They're on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Dallas, but get slowed down when they pick up a hitchhiker who blows her brains out all over their van. The gory events that follow the suicide (which involve Leatherface, a disfigured man who uses human flesh for a mask, his chainsaw, and his equally crazy family) don't make a ton of sense, and it doesn't really matter--it's all just an excuse to bring on the blood and guts.
Is It Any Good?
This film is extremely violent and bloody, the profanity never stops, the characters aren't particularly likeable, and the story doesn't make sense. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is a remake of a 1974 low-budget horror movie by the same name. The original movie about five Texas teens who stumble across a family of cannibals was considered extremely edgy when it was released, but it now seems downright quaint when compared to modern horror movies like this remake.
Jessica Biel leads the cast of doomed characters, but considering she's the biggest name in the movie, you're pretty certain that she's going to stick around the longest. After all, if she were killed off too soon, we wouldn't be treated to the many gratuitous shots of her wet white tank top. The rest of the cast isn't memorable at all with the exception of R. Lee Ermey's portrayal of the "Sheriff" (his untraditional crime scene procedures, such as making sexual jokes about the victim as he carelessly wraps her body in Saran-Wrap, hint that he's not exactly what he seems). There's absolutely no reason for kids to see this movie, and mature teens and adults would be better off watching the original movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the amount and type of violence in this horror film, and some of the more graphic films of today. Do you think it's possible for young people, and even adults, to become desensitized to violence by watching really violent films?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 16, 2003
- On DVD or streaming: March 29, 2004
- Cast: Eric Balfour , Jessica Biel , Jonathan Tucker
- Director: Marcus Nispel
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: New Line
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content
- Last updated: October 3, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate