Texas Chainsaw Massacre Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

2. The Lightning-Fast Pacing & Runtime

There's a lot to be said for a film that doesn't outstay its welcome, and that's certainly a major plus of this ultra-lean 81-minute gore-fest.

At a time where it feels like mainstream movies - especially blockbusters - are getting longer and more bloated, there's something to be said for efficiently conceived movies that understand their limitations and try to deliver the basic goods within a reasonable timeframe.

Only barely clocking in at feature length once you get rid of the credits, Texas Chainsaw Massacre wastes little time on preambles, quickly getting Leatherface back into his murderous mode, before letting loose with a second half that's basically wall-to-wall murder.

The film hops nimbly from one scene to the next without stopping to take a breather for too long, such that even when something isn't working, we're not forced to suffer through it for long.

There's definitely an argument to be made that a deeper and more substantial treatment of Sally's arc would've deserved a more filled-out runtime, but considering this is ultimately a shallow horror movie propped up by its insane violence, keeping things brief was certainly a smart move.