Frank Ritz’s review published on Letterboxd:
Third viewing - finally loved it fully - Jesus Christ.
Used to really intensely dislike everything pre-Leatherface showing up, and would still give it a 4.5/5. This time, I found it basically necessary, unsure how I would ask it do anything differently. There is the most minimal amount of time in the setup needed for it to be not totally weightless, and if we just plopped in at the start of the madness, it wouldn't be feature length, so. Maybe Angst figured out this disturbed formula a tiny bit better, but so be it. This time, while still not in love with the opening 30, I definitely didn't find it insufferable, and Franklin didn't make me wanna end it all like he used to, so I'm able to elevate it to it's rightful grade.
The scene after Franklin is killed, and Sally is running through the woods, and it cuts back to Leatherface chasing her, in a seemingly never-ending sect of woods, I'd often held to be one of the scariest moments in movie history. Still hit just as hard, but I can't believe I never gave credit to Sally at the dinner table. That bit is the most astonishingly uncomfortable I've felt in an extremely long time. It's madness incarnate, and beyond effective.
Once Sally is alone, this does genuinely just become the most effective horror movie, probably ever; it's a genuine descent into hell that just doesn't end. Just in love with the filmmaking too; that constant gliding across the x-axis, with the zooming in and out, and the frantic cutting (highlighted at aforementioned dinner table) is kind of to die for, and so supremely effective at communicating a feeling of pure Evil. My chest kinda hurts, and I have a general feeling of unease, a whole 30 minutes after the credits have finished... why'd I basically start my day watching this? Puts most of the other mainstream big Horror hitters to literal shame (Halloween who?).
Gotta be the most effective PSA for Vegetarianism we'll ever have.
ADDED: ALSO! Always in love when horror protagonist act like human beings - big shout out to Sally never stopping fighting for her life, and all-timer points for jumping out of a window, TWICE!
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