10 Essential Exploitation Films That Everyone Should See

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

My personal favorite film in the list. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most important horror movies ever made and set new levels of violence for the screen without actually being very violent. The greatest thing about the movie is the fact that it relies completely on atmosphere and tension which expertly elevates it above its low budget problems. The tension slowly builds over the course of the story making the ending one of the most iconic in film history. The final shot closes with Leatherface swinging his chainsaw blindly about and Sally, having just narrowly escaped, is drenched in blood and weeping. This is one of the bleakest moments to be seen in any exploitation film, or just film in general, because it suggests that everything is not going to be ok.
 
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Contributor

My favorite movies are Before Sunrise, Pulp Fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien and Her so don't be surprised to see those pop up in my writing from time to time. I'm currently in school for Journalism/English and I have an obsession with all things cinematic on the side.