Leatherface (2017)

   

Directed by: Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo

Written by:
Seth M. Sherwood

Starring:

Vanessa Grasse .... Lizzy
Sam Strike .... Jackson
Stephen Dorff .... Texas Ranger Hal Hartman
Lili Taylor .... Verna Sawyer
Nicole Andrews .... Tammy
Sam Coleman .... Bud
James Bloor .... Ike
Finn Jones .... Deputy Sorrell

Release Dates: Horror Channel FrightFest: August 25, 2017 (UK); ScreamFest Horror Film Festival: October 13, 2017; Limited Theatrical/Video on Demand: October 20, 2017 (USA)

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

A child is taken away from the demented Sawyer family who trains him to be a chainsaw family and left in an institution but years later he manages to escape with some other inmates along with them kidnapping a new employee at the asylum Lizzy (Vanessa Grasse) whom is a nurse and is chased by Texas Ranger Hal Hartman (Stephen Dorff) whom is out for revenge on what the Sawyer family did to his daughter.

 

The beginning looked impressive with the camera panning on the Sawyer house as it's what we'd expect it from what we saw in TCM. Then we see the Sawyer family celebrating Jed's birthday whom is a child Leatherface as well as exposing a cake as the settings looked deceivingly innocent with a family celebrating but then one of the family members starts slaughtering the cake on how he cuts it which shows how psychotic they really are as well as having a victim tied up on their table with the mother Verna bringing Jed a chainsaw and trying to train him to use it on this victim but he is resistant which is a strong psychlogical moment pressuring a somewhat shy kid to do an evil deed which looked disturbing.
Nice near jumping moment when a young couple are driving along and then we see young Jed in the way and they swerve which looked suspenseful and Jed's wearing a corpse cows head which lookeed perfectly twisted and the girlfriend trying to find him when he runs away as this leaves an impression that she's going to fall into a deadly trap. This scene looked fairly well done.
Perfect intense moments when Drayton Sawyer was going to be held in custody on an incident and Jed going to an asylum with Hal Hartman getting wildly aggressive with the situation as this seemed to work in well for a horror story and looking quite strong by what we see on what goes on here.
Impressive moments when there's topics on having Jed's name changed so we don't know who this patient could be when the story takes place years later and this child is fully grown. Then we spot a moment with Lizzie new as a nurse in the asylum talking to some of the patients as well as spotting a scene between a somewhat normal patient Jackson and a chubby kid Bud whom we may think is Leatherface by his actions which looked cleaver to watch.
Plus we see the crazy moments on what goes on there which looked powerful as well as Verna coming in with a lawyer to try and get his son out trying to be sane as this makess you watch carefully wondering if she will snap when the head doctor gets negative with her.
A nice look on Bud getting electro therapy which looked intense to watch along with Verna managing to try and get into the ward causing chaos as well as the patients running wild and some of them going on a killing spree with some of the workers which looked strongly done.
Good moments with some of the people escaping kidnapping Lizzie which is another good creepy moment with the head of the patients Ike discussing that they all stick together else they die as this was well put into the story.
Creepy situation when the gang goes to a diner and Tammy spots one of the customers carrying a gun and telling Ike about causing a riot there when things looked peaceful which is another good psychological moment leaving a creepy feeling on what will happen next.
Nice creepy moment when the gang discovers a broken down trailer as well as spotting a corpse inside of it as this also looked perfectly twisted and well done. Plus there's a moment with Tammy and Ike fornicating and she uses her tongue towards this corpse as this seems to look typical with a sleazy psychopath getting her jollies.
Perfect night time camera shots on Lizzie trying to get away and running into the woods with mist floating around leaving this moment a perfect and creepy horror feel to everything as well as making you watch carefully by wondering if she will get caught from escaping.   
Plus a great strong struggling moment between Jackson and Ike fighting one another as it made me hope that Jackson will kick his ass good for being so obnoxious towards the others.
Great moment with Hal getting violent towards Tammy and causing her intense pain as I was cheering on hoping she will get what's coming to her since she was just as nasty as Ike was. This looked very well done.
The story gets tiresome alot since most of this was a chasing scene most of the way through but it gets rolling big time when we discover who Leatherface is while the survivors Lizzie and Hal try to escape the farmhouse which was neat to see the room made of skeletal figures and the other areas of the home like what we saw in TCM. This should please all you fans.
I really enjoyed a scene when Leatherface activates his chainsaw and points it towards Hal which made me watch very closely wondering if he will do him in but it will please any slasher fans within the results as to what he decides to do to him.
Great chasing scene's when Lizzie manages to escape out in the woods and tries to hide from the Sawyer family which was a treat to see the Hitchhiker and Chop Top runnning around with their weapons trying to find her as this alll looked creepy and dark. The people did a great job with how they set all of this.
A perfect moment when Lizzie is pitted against Leatherface when she pleads towards him and Verna tells him to do her in which is another perfect peer pressuring moment as I was wondering whom he will listen to and boy does it look great and a real fast action moment which is another slashing pleaser as I was like WHOA!!! Showed awesome and shocking timing.
Bottom line is that I was glad they did a prequel to TCM as the makers proved they can still have something based from the original and avoiding doing another remake of this one since they did it like 3 or 4 times since part 3 came out back in the days. However I was slightly disappointed as the story mostly took place with the mental patients running and hiding from the law. It was a bit of a time waster but quarter way through brought the excitement to it all. Yet doesn't reveal any canniballism nor the Hardesty house that resided next door to the Sawyer's property. Hopefully they'll make a sequel to this one as there's still alot of explaining on this.

The acting stood out very well in which we got a nice performance done by Vanessa Grass (Lizzy) in which she is convincing by showing off a nice and caring attitude as the nurse at the asylum and having a nice calmness too her attitude. Also does well by acting upset or uncomfortable when she is kidnapped. Plus shows off great energy whenever trying to run away as well as having a great fearful speaking when the terror strikes her. She brought this all in nicely.
Sam Strike (Jackson) had a nice tough as nails behavior as well as showing it off as the most highly functioning one at the asylum. Offers a smart attitude by what he is talking about along with rolling with the punches. Had a great seriousness to his part in the film. Also was great with his blocking and motives when he gets into a brawl looking mighty powerful while behaving this way. Had the decent boy next door type of attitude too.
Stephen Dorff (Texas Ranger Hal Hartman) lived too play a crazy and vengeful lawman in which he knew on how to act wild and out of control with his temper. Does a great job when getting nasty towards his fellow actors and causing them pain which his attitude towards them looked very believeable. He was perfectly abusive as well as bringing it to the extreme with his evil actions as he for sure makes you wished that he was done in.
Lili Taylor (Verna Sawyer) certainly has the perfect southern motherly attitude as well as doing a great job with her wicked and manipulative attitude just getting into this greatly. Plus she also does well with her violent and forceful actions too making her a one mean and powerful mama.
Nicole Andrews (Tammy) was perfect as a demented brat in the asylum in which she does everything naturally with her forceful behavior. She was good at being manipulative as well as acting perfectly violent. She's someone that you'd want to smack around. Also was great with her shrieking attitude too.
Sam Coleman (Bud) seemed to have the right looks and appeal that you may think he's Leatherface but someone's he is a little over the top but not too much. Does well by acting powerful as well as reacting to stuff. Really knew on how to act violent by doing someone in too.
James Bloor (Ike) lived to play a mental patient with his crazed, arrogant and obnoxious behavior. Shows a good intimidating attitude and knew on how to be in control with everyone. He acted perfectly abusive towards others as well as being a nice violent killing machine to anyone that crosses him in which he studied this part marvelously. Had the perfect wild looks too.
Finn Jones (Deputy Sorrell) had a real effective supporting role in which he seemed to show off a great sane and serious appeal and knew how to handle a situation well while pointing his gun towards someone else. Seemed to have a believable decent attitude and knew on how too act cautious with stuff and acting smart about stuff.

Lily Taylor exposes her breasts while fornicating in a trailer

A saw is cut through someone's arm
Hammer is bloodily bashed in a victims head
Teenage girl is half slaughtered while falling into a trap  
Doctor's head is badly cut through broken glass
Bloody gunshots
A head is badly crushed
Someone else is shot in the head
Person's jaw is bloodily shot open
Pigs eat someone alive
Person's guts is used as pigslop
A lawman is cut up by a chainsaw
Woman's head is sawed off

The composing done by John Frizzell sounded terrific as there's alot of dark sounds to the film having a great touch to everything having high pitched screechy violin playing in alot of spots. Plus some great hissing effects and other gloomy sounds which suits every scene marvellously. This person really had it on the ball of things.