Unexpectedly, the latest installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise manages to tie in several social issues into its very short runtime of just 83 minutes. It tells of gentrification and US gun culture just as much as it tells about mass murderers who wear the skin of other people on their faces. But, it remains true to its gory origins.
The plot, like the directing, does things in its way, mostly thanks to David Blue Garcia. This director, based in Austin Texas, knows the lay of the land and the film tells it as well. That is why we as an audience don't end up rooting for either Leatherface or the group of out-of-towners who come to Harlow hoping to start a hipster restaurant. Without the need to pick sides, we can simply enjoy this short and atypical horror experience from start to finish, with all of its trills, social nods, and decapitations.
