Since premiering in 1974, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has become one of the most iconic (and sloppiest) franchises in horror history. The series centers around a chainsaw-wielding killer known as Leatherface, who butchers his victims like animals in the rural fields of Texas. If you want to watch the franchise in order, then good luck because the chronology of Texas Chainsaw is messier, sloppier, and more disemboweled than even the most unfortunate Leatherface victim. In fact, there are four (yes, four!) timelines in the Texas Chainsaw universe. If you’re a diehard fan who is seriously wanting to watch all four in order, it would look like this:
Original Texas Chainsaw Timeline
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
2003 Remake Timeline
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
2013 Reboot Timeline
- Leatherface (2017)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
2022 Timeline
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
But in all honesty, the timelines are so fractured and incoherent that, in my opinion as a huge fan, they aren’t even worth it. The true order you should watch Texas Chainsaw in is the release order. The real joy (and madness) of the franchise is watching how it evolved over the years, spanning the gauntlet, from truly terrifying and smart to meta and absolutely bonkers to scary again.
It’s also interesting to see how all the films built upon each other as time went on, learning from previous mistakes (and often repeating a few of them) and, ultimately, creating another core entry in the horror canon. Here’s every Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie in release date order, which, trust me, is the best and most logical order to watch the franchise in. Find all the movies across platforms like Netflix, Peacock, Tubi, and more.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
What happens when a group of friends driving through the rural emptiness of Texas find themselves running out of gas? Well, you’ll have to watch and find out. But let’s just say it involves a cannibalistic family of psychopaths, meat hooks, mallets, and one giant, hulking, chainsaw-wielding killer who wears masks made of human skin.
If you’re squeamish, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre probably isn’t the movie for you. But if you’re someone who loves gritty, ultra-realistic horror that’s raw, unsettling, and macabre… then this is the film to top all others. It’s great for fans of slasher movies like Halloween, since The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is considered one of the first true slashers; and it’s perfect for fans of old-school horror movies, like Cannibal Holocaust, that have that gritty, grimy, grindhouse feel.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Instantly proving that TCM’s chronological order means nothing is the very first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Set in the then-present day (1986), the film follows a radio DJ and a sheriff, who happens to be the uncle of two characters from the first movie. And, of course, Leatherface and the rest of the Sawyer clan get up to their no-good hijinks once again, this time in Dallas.
The sequel is truly wild. Leatherface lives in an underground lair beneath an abandoned theme park. Not to mention, the film makes multiple pop culture references and even pokes fun at the original movie. If you love the meta wit from Scream, or the trashy bombast of Rob Zombie films like House of the 1,000 Corpses, this is the zany, offbeat TCM entry for you. No real knowledge of the first movie necessary.
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
The first thing you need to know about Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is that it got completely gutted in the editing room. There’s a whole backstory to the movie involving the MPA, which was so offended by the film that they initially refused to give Leatherface a rating.
Then it was rated X numerous times, and finally, after being submitted to the MPA 11 times and missing its initial release date because of it, the film finally got released with an R-rating. The problem is that to get an R-rating, the entire movie had to essentially be scrapped, and the end result is dull, tepid, boring, and hardly horror. Unless you’re a true horror fanatic or franchise completionist, you can skip Leatherface without losing track of the plot and family tree established in the first two movies.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
Continuing the franchise’s ridiculous journey is 1995’s The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If you’ve never heard of that movie before, that’s because after a very limited release in ‘95, the movie didn’t actually premiere until 1997 after receiving heavy edits that most critics say were for the worse. The film was also released under its new title, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.
Starring Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, the fourth entry in the franchise is super meta and obscure, almost bordering on arthouse cinema. It mocks how terrible and senseless the horror genre had become in the ‘90s by purposefully making itself terrible and senseless. It’s like if John Waters made a horror movie. The movie even includes a bizarre secret society subplot and explores more of Leatherface’s gender identity (which, at the time, seemed edgy but now just feels transphobic). It’s a really smart movie… if you can manage to sit through its 95-minute runtime of super meta horror commentary. The Next Generation is a great choice for anyone who loves other super meta horror films like New Nightmare or Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
A personal favorite of mine is the 2003The Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot starring Jessica Biel. Unlike the original, which has a super amateur vibe that almost feels like lost footage from a snuff film, the ‘03 remake tackles the story with a huge budget, big stars, and even Michael Bay serving as producer.
The result is a TCM entry that has excellent cinematography, a true soundtrack, a deeper story, and more suspense. It’s also really interesting to watch because it shows how different filmmaking styles can have such radical impacts on the same story. If you’re a fan of Bay’s other augties reboots like The Amityville Horror (2005) or Friday the 13th (2009), this is a must-watch.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
After the ‘03 reboot scored big at the box office, earning over $107 million, a sequel was soon put in development. Except, it wasn’t a sequel. It was a prequel that dove into Leatherface’s origin story and tried to explain why the Sawyer family (who have been switched to the Hewitt family in the Bay movies) are the cannibals they are. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning was the first attempt to really create a reason and origin for the franchise.
It’s not bad, but it isn’t great. However, The Beginning succeeds at what it sets out to do, and for horror fans, it absolutely is worth watching. Definitely check it out if you love prequels, especially horror prequels like Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) or The First Purge (2018).
Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
Retconning the franchise and claiming itself to be a sequel to the original movie, 2013’s Texas Chainsaw 3D is wonky from the start. It focuses on Leatherface’s cousin, who was allegedly born in 1973 just before the events of the first movie. While she should have been 40 years old in 2013, she instead is a young college graduate (played by Alexandra Daddario), and it’s just a wild ride from there. Leatherface is locked in a basement like an animal, Daddario delivers the now-iconic “Do your thing, cuz!” line, and the plot includes Leatherface trying to kill her the entire movie until he discovers she’s his baby cousin and then suddenly the two are total besties (aww, cute!)
Texas Chainsaw 3D is a spectacle. Not always in a good way, but whether you’re laughing with the movie or at it, it’s a fun ride for franchise fans and anyone who wants to open a bottle of wine and cackle the night away with a group of friends.
Leatherface (2017)
Sadly, there’s another entry in the Texas Chainsaw franchise that, unless you’re a super diehard fan, can easily be skipped. And to respect your time and sanity, frankly, it should be skipped. Leatherface decided to retcon the origin story established in The Beginning and create its own prequel showing the origins of Leatherface. It involves the crazed, murderous Sawyer family; a bunch of ruthless, murderous escaped mental patients; and a bunch of soulless, murderous sheriffs.
It’s a lot of bad people doing bad things to each other. None of it feels like Texas Chainsaw at all, and it’s got so much murder that it loses all its suspense and horror. There’s a reason why this movie was shelved for over a year, lost its theatrical release, and became a straight-to-VOD slopfest that most people don’t even know exists. However, if you’re the kind of person who loves an obscure deep cut, this one’s for you.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
In 2022, Netflix retconned the Texas Chainsaw franchise yet again, this time making a present-day sequel that only counts the original film in its chronology. Okay, first the bad part. Using this timeline, Leatherface must have been at least 25 years old in the original movie, which would make him about 75 (if not older) in 2022. So the idea that a geriatric Leatherface is still rampaging down hordes of young twentysomethings is beyond stupid.
However, if you can ignore the blatant plot hole, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is actually kind of good. It’s certainly the best TCM movie of the last decade and has some wild and fun kills. Honestly, it almost feels more like a reboot than a sequel. It’s kind of its own beast, similar to how Wrong Turn and The Strangers: Chapter 1 revamped their decades-old franchises. So you can easily watch it as a standalone movie.
