Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III has a scrappy, mean little energy that feels like a midnight movie daring you to keep watching—part backwoods nightmare, part road-trip thriller that keeps tightening the vise. Jeff Burr leans into atmosphere and momentum: dusty Texas emptiness, sudden violence, and a grimy sense of humor that makes the whole thing feel uncomfortably alive rather than polished. R.A. Mihailoff brings a physically imposing, animalistic Leatherface to the screen, and the supporting cast—especially Ken Foree—adds a welcome jolt of personality and grit amid the carnage. It’s not for the squeamish and it won’t satisfy anyone looking for the original’s raw lightning-in-a-bottle, but if you want a punchy, nasty sequel with memorable set pieces and that unmistakable “the Saw is family” vibe, this one delivers.

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is clearly trying to bottle the sweaty roadside dread of the original while upping the body-count and giving Leatherface a more “mythic slasher” presence. The problem is it often feels like a heavily trimmed, stop-start version of a nastier movie: the pacing drags, the tone wobbles between grim and camp without committing, and the scares land softer than the premise promises. If you’re coming for the raw, chaotic punch of the 1974 film, this can feel tame and oddly generic despite the gruesome set pieces. That said, there are a few enjoyably pulpy moments, a likable streak of survivalist grit from Ken Foree, and some grimy Texas atmosphere—just don’t expect it to be sharp, scary, or particularly coherent.