Chain Reactions Trailer Explores The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s Cultural Impact

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an iconic film in horror history, and a trailer for the new documentary Chain Reactions explores the movie’s cultural impact. Dark Sky Films released the official trailer on Thursday for the documentary which features Patton Oswalt, Stephen King and more discussing the influential slasher film.

Alexandre O. Philippe (Memory: The Origins of Alien, 78/52) directed the film, which in addition to Oswalt and King features interviews with Takashi Miike, Karyn Kusama and film critic/scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. The film releases on September 26th and is described as follows:

Fifty years after Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shocked the world and forever changed the face of global cinema and popular culture, Chain Reactions charts the film’s profound impact and lasting influence on five great artists – Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller- Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama – through early memories, sensory experiences, and childhood trauma. By crafting a dynamic dialogue between contemporary footage and never-before-seen outtakes and delving into personal impressions triggered by distinct audiovisual formats (16mm, 35mm, VHS, digital), Chain Reactions goes to the heart of how a scruffy, no-budget independent film wormed its way into our collective nightmares and permanently altered the zeitgeist.

411’s review of Chain Reactions out of the 2025 Overlook Film Festival called the film “a must-watch love letter to Texas Chain Saw that will have plenty of insight for fans of the film, while also touching on how the film can be viewed through varied perspectives.”