Someone somewhere screwed up the marketing for Leatherface and they need to be fired. The trailers were lackluster and the synopsis sounds boring, which automatically set the stage for negative reviews. But if you ignore everything you heard you will be delighted by a movie that sets the stage for one of the silver-screen's favorite killers; Leatherface.
Leatherface takes place before the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and it delves into more than just the man-with-the-saw's backstory. It shines a spotlight on each member of the Sawyer clan before they became the fine tuned family that kills.
The setup is simple; the Sawyers are disliked by all and the local law enforcement wants them gone, but can't manage to make a case against them. However, when the local sheriff's daughter is found dead, he rounds up all the young Sawyers under the guise of child endangerment and places them in a institution. After 10 years of being separated, Verna (Lili Taylor) marries into money and attempts to use her wealth to find and release her son Jeb. When her plan doesn't succeed she improvises and creates a mass riot resulting in the escape of her son and three others.
The script was penned by Seth M. Sherwood who does an amazing job of setting the stage of what will become the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the icon Leatherface. With many foreshadowing events of the future and a few homages to the more crazy installments, Sherwood created a prequel that fits tonally with the rest of the series.
Casting for this installment couldn't have been better. With heavyweights like Stephen Dorff and Lili Taylor taking up roles it gives the picture a deserving sense of legitimacy. Yet it one of the younger stars that steal the show; Jessica Madsen gives a performance that is outstanding, no it's more than that, it can only be described as perfectly flawless and to say anymore would ruin the movie.
The gore here is plenty and it really stands out as the most blood-soaked entry in the series to date. From the kills to the practical FX many a fans of the series should be happy with how visceral the movie is. And what will really standout is not a kill but a twisted sex scene that involves a long dead corpse (I've said too much). Also the attention to detail for the Sawyer house is fantastic, they nailed even the most minute detail in reproducing the house.
Leatherface is more than just a slasher origin story, it's a ride that shows you how a person can become so broken and stripped away that they see no option but to turn to the saw. And after all the Saw Is Family.
Rating: 8/10 Stars
Rich Stile @TheDevilsEyes1