Driving through the backwoods of Texas, five youths pick up a traumatized hitchhiker, who shoots herself in their van. Shaken by the suicide, the group seeks help from the locals, but their situation becomes even more surreal when they knock on the door of a remote homestead. It’s quickly apparent the residents are a family of inbred psychopaths, and the unlucky youths suddenly find themselves running for their lives. In hot pursuit is a disfigured, chainsaw-wielding cannibal known as Leatherface.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an American horror film, and a remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. It is the fifth installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, and was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay. It was also co-produced by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper, co-creators of the original 1974 film.
This film is the first of many horror remakes to come from Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company which also remade The Amityville Horror, The Hitcher, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Though met with negative reception from critics, the film was well received by fans, and grossed $107 million worldwide above its $9.5 million budget, making it a strong financial success. A sequel was planned, but was later made into a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.
On August 18, 1973, five young adults, Erin (Jessica Biel), her boyfriend Kemper (Eric Balfour) and their friends Morgan (Jonathan Tucker), Andy (Mike Vogel), and Pepper (Erica Leerhsen), are on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert after returning from Mexico to buy marijuana. While driving through Texas, they pick up a distraught hitchhiker (Lauren German) they see walking in the middle of the road. After trying to talk to the hitchhiker, who speaks incoherently about “a bad man”, she pulls out a .357 Magnum and shoots herself in the mouth.
The group goes to a nearby eatery to contact the police where a woman named Luda Mae (Marietta Marich) tells them to meet the sheriff at the mill. Instead of the sheriff, they find a little boy named Jedidiah (David Dorfman), who tells them that the sheriff is at home. Erin and Kemper go through the woods to find his house, leaving Morgan, Andy, and Pepper at the mill with the boy. They come across a plantation house and Erin is allowed inside by an amputee named Monty to phone for help. When Erin finishes, the old man asks her for help. Kemper goes inside to look for Erin, and is killed with a sledgehammer by Thomas Hewitt, also known as “Leatherface” (Andrew Bryniarski). Leatherface drags Kemper’s body into the basement to make a new mask, and discovers an engagement ring meant for Erin.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey) arrives at the mill and disposes of the hitchhiker’s body, wrapping her in cellophane and putting her in his trunk. When Erin returns she finds that Kemper is still missing. Andy and Erin go back to Monty’s house, and Erin distracts him while Andy searches for Kemper. Monty realizes Andy is inside and summons Leatherface, who attacks him with his chainsaw. Erin escapes and heads towards the woods, but Leatherface slices Andy’s leg off and carries him to the basement, where he is impaled on a meat hook, and his stump is covered in salt and wrapped in butcher paper.
Erin makes it back to the mill, but before she can leave the sheriff shows up. After finding marijuana he orders Erin, Morgan, and Pepper to get out of the van and lay on the ground. The sheriff forces Morgan back into the van, and gives im the gun he took from the hitchhiker, forcing him to reenact how she killed herself. Morgan, scared and disturbed by the sheriff’s demands, attempts to shoot him only to find the gun is unloaded. Sheriff Hoyt handcuffs Morgan and drives him to the Hewitt house (a drive which includes a brutal beating), taking the van’s key with him. Erin manages to hot wire the truck but the wheels fall off. Leatherface arrives shortly after and starts hacking through the roof.
Directed by: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, R. Lee Ermey, Heather Kafka
Screenplay by: Scott Kosar
Production Design by: Greg Blair
Cinematography by: Daniel Pearl
Film Editing by: Glen Scantlebury
Costume Design by: Bobbie Mannix
Set Decoration by: Randy Huke
Music by: Steve Jablonsky
MPAA Rating: R for strong horror violence / gore, language and drug content.
Studio: New Line Cinema
Release Date: October 17, 2003
