CBR's 31 Days of Halloween is a daily feature highlighting our staff's favorite horror movies to watch during the month of October. Reader, beware - you're in for a scare!

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an iconic low-budget film developed in the 1970s that set the standard for slasher films in the horror genre. Tobe Hooper was the creator, and he went on to make other memorable films, including Poltergeist. Hooper continued to develop the franchise, diving deeper into the psyche of Leatherface and his family. However, the original film continues to be the strongest installment of the series. Without being overly self-aware or gruesome, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre manages to terrify viewers while simultaneously providing them with an eerie sense of danger throughout the film.

Some complications with the movie's filming forced the actors into a less-than-ideal working situation. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was filmed in Texas during the summer, and the state is known for its intense heat waves. The main set for the film was the creepy house, and Hooper had requested it be filled with rotting food and carcasses. Cast and crew reportedly vomited on-set during shooting because of the putrid smells. Without central AC in the unforgiving heat, the actors were also highly irritated, which came through in their performances. Many people who worked on the film did not want to work with Hooper again, but that tension translated well to the final product, adding an extra layer of uneasiness for audiences.

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What Is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre About?

1970s Texas Chainsaw Massacre film still - Leatherface holding a chainsaw

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is about a group of young adults traveling through Texas to visit an old homestead from their past. On the way, they pick up a hitchhiker who creeps them out, and they eventually ditch him on the side of the road. Later, they arrive at a gas station and discover there's no gas, so they decide to fill their vehicle after visiting the homestead. They continue to travel and stop at a nearby house to ask for gas as they're incredibly close to running out.

The friends don't realize they've stumbled upon a house of cannibals who knew they were arriving from the hitchhiker. Members of the group come face-to-face with Leatherface, and he wreaks havoc, picking the friends off individually. After quickly being separated, the remaining members fight for their lives against the superhuman strength of their captor, who is determined to murder them.

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Why The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Is Mandatory Halloween Viewing

Sally Hardesty at the end of Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The premise itself diversifies The Texas Chain Saw Massacre from other slasher films. Many people were horrified by the idea of a family of cannibals living out in rural Texas, waiting for visitors to stumble upon their home and become their next meal. The dynamics between the family members were strange and unsettling, especially when they quickly became angry with one another. One young woman is abducted by the family and tied to the dining chair, and her fear is palpable as the family discusses what they will do with her in detail and then fight over how it will happen. She's completely helpless, and her fate is in their hands.

What also makes The Texas Chain Saw Massacre worth watching is that the film spurred a trend in the horror genre. Slashers weren't as prevalent during the time, and the film had a gritty tone that stuck with viewers after the movie's end. Unlike other slasher films, most of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's violence is implied, and the suggestions were triggering and terrifying enough to qualify for an R-rating, which made the film accessible to only a select audience. However, even with that roadblock, the film was still iconic enough to spur a cult following which continues to be the driving force to keep the franchise going.

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As mentioned above, the eerie tone throughout the film is one of the most memorable aspects, and a part of that was a stylistic choice to leave music out of vital scenes. Many viewers might not have realized that the chilling feeling they received from certain scenes came from the lack of music. Without that escalating force, viewers were forced to sit in the highly tense scenes, and they could hear the unfiltered screams from Leatherface's victims. In the iconic last scene of the film, one of the young women escapes his grasp, and he throws a tantrum by circling on a country road while holding his chainsaw. The lack of music elevated this scene, especially as the credits began in dead silence. The eeriness of that decision added nerve-wracking tension to the film's ending, which left people with an uneasy feeling.

The final aspect that makes the film a great watch this Halloween season is the scream queen performances. Not all the characters in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were great, but the women held captive did terrific jobs. There's an iconic scene where one woman tries to run, and Leatherface captures her the moment she runs out the front door. Her bloodcurdling scream is highly realistic, and the actor seems legitimately terrified that she will die in some horrific way. Their performances alone make this film worth watching.

How to Watch the Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Is it Streaming?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Movie

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of the most accessible films on this list so far. The horror movie is available for streaming on Tubi, Paramount+, Hulu, Sling TV, Prime Video, Showtime, The Roku Channel, fuboTV and YouTube TV. The film is also watchable on Showtime Showcase on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 10 PM CST, Flix on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 3:15 AM CST and Showtime Friday, Oct. 14 at 5:30 PM CST.