The 1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains the franchise’s strongest film, but the best follow-up depends on whether you want stark horror, dark comedy, or a modern legacy sequel. Here is a critic’s ranking of all nine released feature films through 2022, judged on craft, originality, tonal control, and how well each succeeds on its own terms. The order is an editorial judgment, not a definitive consensus.
Every Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, ranked
The franchise repeatedly branches into new continuities, so this ranking weighs each film as a movie rather than treating Leatherface’s changing characterization as one consistent canon. The Texas State Historical Association’s franchise history identifies nine released films through 2022; it counts the 1995 film and its 1997 re-edited re-release as one entry.
![Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51oL0Ht1GeL._SL160_.jpg)
![Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation - Collector's Edition [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51EyYpJ+CPL._SL160_.jpg)
![Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Black Maria [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41EqsMr4qTL._SL160_.jpg)
-
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Tobe Hooper’s original is the benchmark: lean, rough-edged, and unnerving in a way that makes its violence feel less like polished spectacle than a bad encounter you cannot escape. Its influence on slasher conventions is part of its legacy, but its raw style still works on its own. The Texas State Historical Association estimates a budget of about $140,000 and domestic gross of more than $30 million; those are approximate U.S. figures, not worldwide earnings. Texas State Historical Association.
-
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Hooper’s sequel is a daring counterpoint to the original, trading much of its grim naturalism for black humor and satire. That tonal swerve is its defining strength—and the reason it can frustrate viewers who want a return to the first film’s stark horror. It earns its place high in the ranking by committing to a distinct comic-horror identity instead of simply repeating the original.
Recommended: Crashes or Glitches? A Free Driver Scan Usually Finds the Culprit →Recommended: Fix Windows Errors and Clear Junk Files in Minutes - Free Scan →Recommended: Update Every Outdated Driver on Your PC in One Scan - Free →Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.#1 Best Overall
-
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
This is a remake with a new story, not a continuation of the 1974 film. It gives Leatherface a more polished, forceful modern-horror setting while retaining the family’s menace. Its commercial scale helped make it a notable entry in the 2000s wave of horror remakes: the Texas State Historical Association reports a $9.5 million budget and more than $107 million in global gross. Texas State Historical Association.
-
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
A direct sequel with a different director and less of Hooper’s comic sensibility, this is best approached as a straightforward slasher rather than a reinvention. It is rough and comparatively conventional, but that directness gives it a clear place in the original run of films.
Rank #2
-
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995/1997)
Released in a re-edited form in 1997, this is the franchise’s strangest outlier: self-aware, near-parodic, and willing to make coherence secondary to oddness. That can be a virtue for completists curious about how far the series can veer from its starting point, though it is a difficult recommendation as a representative installment.
-
Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
This alternate sequel branch returns to the aftermath of the 1974 original and leans on legacy-sequel appeal. Its central idea may work better for viewers interested in revisiting familiar characters and history than for those who want continuity to fit neatly together. Its placement reflects that trade-off, not a claim that its timeline is the franchise’s single official path.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Leatherface (2017)
This prequel explores Leatherface’s origins, including a connection to the Texas Chainsaw 3D branch in the Texas State Historical Association’s account. Origin stories can add context, but here the central question is whether explaining the character builds suspense or diminishes the original’s mystery. It has more interest as a continuity piece than as a fresh source of dread.
-
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
Netflix describes this film as a direct sequel to the 1974 original; it also brings Sally Hardesty back, played by Olwen Fouéré. The return gives the film a clear legacy-sequel hook, while its present-day setting attempts an update. The result depends heavily on the original’s place in the audience’s memory, leaving it less effective as a standalone entry. Netflix Media Center.
Rank #4
![The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514QOknr2gL._SL160_.jpg)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 [Blu-ray]- Factory sealed DVD
-
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
This prequel to the 2003 remake sits last because it adds less dimension to that film’s world than its premise promises. Its capture-and-escape structure feels repetitive, making it a less compelling return to the remake continuity than the 2003 film itself. That is a critical judgment about the film’s effect, not a sourced production fact.
What order should I watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies in?
For a first watch, use release order. It lets you follow the series’ shifts in tone and style without first having to sort its competing timelines. JustWatch also recommends release order as its preferred route, though it is a viewing suggestion rather than an official canon rule. JustWatch’s viewing guide.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Best Value
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995; re-edited and re-released in 1997)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
- Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
- Leatherface (2017)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
How the movies split into continuities
There is no single uninterrupted timeline across all nine films. The franchise history described by the Texas State Historical Association and Netflix breaks into several branches; guides differ on how to group some of the later entries. Calling them branches or continuities is more accurate than presenting one uncontested official chronology.
- Original run: The 1974 original, Part 2, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, and The Next Generation.
- 2003 remake branch: The 2003 remake followed by its prequel, The Beginning (2006).
- Later branches: Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) revisits the original’s aftermath; Leatherface (2017) is a prequel associated with that branch in the Texas State Historical Association’s outline; and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) is described by Netflix as a direct sequel to the 1974 film.
Leatherface appears across the franchise’s main film history, but his name, appearance, motives, and characterization vary between entries. The films do not support treating every version as one stable character in one continuous canon. Texas State Historical Association and Netflix Tudum’s timeline outline the branches.
Quick Recap
Which one should you choose?
- For the essential film: Start with the 1974 original.
- For camp and satire: Try The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2; its comedy is a deliberate tonal change, not a continuation of the original’s approach.
- For a modern remake: Watch the 2003 film, then The Beginning if you want its prequel.
- For franchise oddities: The Next Generation is the most self-aware and offbeat choice here.
- For a legacy sequel: The 2022 film follows the 1974 original directly, while Texas Chainsaw 3D explores a different sequel branch.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
