Alexandre O. Philippe has directed such projects as The People vs. George Lucas (2010), Doc of the Dead (2014), Lynch/Oz (2022), William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill (2023), and now Chain Reactions, a documentary about the cultural and personal significance of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) on five separate individuals. Having its east coast premiere during Boston Underground Film Festival 2025, Chain Reactions explores one of the most prolific horror movies of all time and how it inspired some of the most notable names in books, their adaptations, and Japanese horror.
A still from the documentary CHAIN REACTIONS. Photo courtesy of Dark Sky Films.
Patton Oswalt (Blade: Trinity) being one of those voices is not a surprise knowing his live standup; hearing him speak in interviews; and knowing he was married to Michelle McNamara, author of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, the book about the Golden State Killer. Even though his career isn’t horror-driven, it should not be a shock to hear him talk about how one of the most influential horror movies of all time shaped his personality and career. Legendary director Takashi Miike focuses on where he was in his life when he first saw the movie and the everlasting impact it had on his work later. Miike talks about what Massacre meant to him and how he wanted to make each of his movies, like Audition (1999) and Ichi the Killer (2001), so that it was held in the same regard as Massacre and not as just another slasher/gore picture. The other voices and experts who talk about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in this documentary are scholar and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, director Karyn Kusama (Destroyer; Jennifer’s Body; Girlfight), and author Stephen King, who needs literally no introduction.
A still from the documentary CHAIN REACTIONS. Photo courtesy of Dark Sky Films.
Everyone’s contributions bring together new schools of thought on Tobe Hooper’s classic which forever changed the landscape of the horror genre for creatives and audiences alike. Chain Reactions is a documentary on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre that isn’t trying to uncover more information on the Hooper movie, but rather is sharing insider information on how the movie shaped and formed five brilliant voices of the 21th century.
A full review of Chain Reactions will be available closer to the wide release.
Screening during Boston Underground Film Festival 2025.
For more information, head to the official BUFF Chain Reactions webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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