I think there was a time where I saw, or at least saw parts of, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). My recollection of it is null, so when I visited (or maybe revisited) the 4K by Arrow after visiting the disappointing remake of the original, I was skeptical, but what I ended up seeing was something I never could’ve expected. This transfer is tenfold better than the 2003 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4K UHD release, the archival trove is through the roof, and, similar to the 2003 4K release, there are some new interviews. So, if you’re a completist or are interested in learning the story behind Leatherface, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a worthy purchase. Strap in and get prepared for a prequel that can stand its own ground in extended and theatrical cuts.

The movie focuses on Eric and Dean (Matt Bomer and Taylor Handley) as they take one last trip with their girlfriends Chrissie and Bailey (Jordana Brewster and Diora Baird) before the men go to Vietnam in the summer of 1969. What starts off as an ordinary, rather tame weekend, a fight on the drive with a deranged biker who carries a shotgun causes them to crash their car. They’re eventually rescued by Sherrif Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey), however, he is not as he seems as he brings the couples to the Hewitt house. As we know, the Hewitts are viscous murderers, so what unfolds is the telling of how the Hewitt family came to be and how Thomas (Andrew Bryniarski — from the 2003 remake) becomes Leatherface, including the creation of the disturbing mask without leaving gritty details out. The movie is graphic, gory, and viscously violent, ensuring that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a worthy successor and precursor for the original which started a horrifying franchise and movement.

Packshot of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING 4K UHD edition. Photo courtesy of Arrow Video.

Now, when looking at the Arrow release as a whole, it’s nice knowing that both the extended/uncut version and the theatrical version are both presented in 4K HDR with all audio options available. From some preliminary research and reading online, it seems the only difference between the two cuts is the amount of blood and gore, and not necessarily extended or different scenes, so whichever version of the film you decide to watch is, at its core, the same movie. The biggest issue I had, which happened about two-thirds of the way through the film on both the theatrical and uncut versions, was that the film looked incredibly choppy and in a found-footage jumpy style. At first I thought maybe it was a creative choice, but then it started occurring where it simply did not make sense, so I had to clean the disk. This processed had to be completed nearly half a dozen times before it stopped occurring, but it kept occurring in the same five-ish minute block. So whether this is a bad disk or a player issue (I only have one 4K player, so I was unable to test on a different player) is yet to be seen, but hopefully this was something wrong with the disk or my player and not a wider spread issue that will require a disk replacement.

Editor’s Note: If Arrow Video makes an official announcement regarding the above as a larger issue, we’ll update this review with their notice.

Overall, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a better movie and a better transfer than the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while, in terms of special features, it’s the same as the latter. All archival features with the addition of a new commentary on the uncut version with Dread Central. The limited edition comes with a reversible sleeve with new artwork, a double-sided poster with the same work, and the illustrated collector’s booklet with new writings by Michael Gingold. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is for fans of the franchise, people wanting a prequel to know how Leatherface became Leatherface, or completionists, and boasts a wonderful transfer of an overall bloody, emphasis on the “bloody,” good time.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 4K Special Features:

• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
• *NEW* Brand new audio commentary on the Uncut Version with Dread Central co-founder Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton and co-host of The Spooky Picture Show podcast Chris MacGibbon
• Archival audio commentary on the Uncut Version with director Jonathan Liebesman and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller
• *NEW* Hoyt, Actually, a brand new interview with actor Lew Temple
• *NEW* Original Skins: KNB FX, a brand new interview with special effects makeup artist Jake Garber and special effects makeup technician Kevin Wasner
• *NEW* Light and Sawdust, a brand new interview with director of photography Lukas Ettlin
• Down to the Bone: Anatomy of a Prequel, an archival making-of documentary featuring many interviews with cast and crew members
• Deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary from director Jonathan Liebesman and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller
• Theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Aaron Lea
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Aaron Lea
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Gingold.

Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray August 26^th, 2025.

For more information, head to the official Arrow Video The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning webpage.

Categories: Home Release, Recommendation

Tags: 4K UHD, Andrew Bryniarski, Arrow Video, David J. Schow, Diora Baird, home release, home video, horror, John Larroquette, Jonathan Liebesman, Jordana Brewster, Lee Tergesen, Matt Bomer, MVD Entertainment Group, New Line Cinema, Next Entertainment, Platinum Dunes, R. Lee Ermey, Sheldon Turner, Taylor Handley, Texas Chainsaw Productions, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Vortex/Henkel/Hooper