Overlook 2025: Chain Reactions Review

Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe
Written by: Alexandre O. Philippe

Starring:
Patton Oswalt
Takashi Miike
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Stephen King
Karyn Kusama

Image Credit: Dark Sky Films

Running Time: 103 minutes
Not Rated

It is not hyperbole to say that The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is arguably the most significant and influential horror film of all-time. Tobe Hooper’s cannibalistic proto-slasher changed the movie landscape upon its 1974 release and helped accelerate horror’s push into the New Hollywood era that was already revolutionizing the industry.

There’s no shortage of documentaries about Texas Chain Saw to pick from if you’re wanting a look behind the scenes of the movie’s making or at its place in horror history. Chain Reactions wisely hangs its vision on a different hook. The engaging documentary from Alexandre O. Philippe, which is screening at the 2025 Overlook Film Festival, instead explores the film’s impact through five artists in the genre and how it influenced their works in a ripple effect that is still being felt to this day.

Chain Reactions is separated into five different “chapters,” each featuring a different interviewee. The list consists comedian/actor Patton Oswalt, J-horror icon Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi The Killer), Australian film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and director Karyn Kusama of Jennifer’s Body and The Invitation fame. The five relay their experiences first encountering Texas Chain Saw and how the film affected them, as well as the impact it had on both them and their contributions to film and art.

Through this set of differing perspectives, Philippe is able to show how Tobe Hooper’s film has left a varied and diverse impact on the world of film and media. For example, Heller—Nicholas talks about how Australia’s refusal to allow the film to play there for 10 years gave the low-quality VHS she saw a degraded yellow look that felt familiar to her in comparison to films about Australia. Meanwhile, Miike discusses how he saw the film as a second choice after he couldn’t attend a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights — a decision that turned him into a horror fan (and of course then influenced his filmmaking).

The approach is a different swing than a traditional documentary, but that’s something Philippe has experience with. He’s often avoided the traditional documentary approach, such as his Psycho doc 78/52 and 2023’s Lynch/Oz. His vision here is strong as King, Miike, Oswalt, Kusama and Heller-Nicholas provide analysis and insight into the film while also speak on a personal level about the profound impact the movie had on them, which of course then influenced their art. Focusing on just five people rather than an army of famous fans is also a wise move. It allows them to talk at greater length and provides a personal touch, a level of intimacy that is often lacking from documentaries about the horror genre and movies in general.

To Philippe’s credit, Chain Reactions is also more visually inspired than you might guess at first blush. The five subjects are in traditional interviewee-style shots, but the director offers some nice clips for perspective, such as side-by-side comparisons of degraded VHS prints against the remastered version and B-roll from the original film’s production. It’s not particularly inventive in that respect, but it does offer something more dynamic than just seeing the five subjects, compelling as they are, sharing their stories.

Fans looking for a deep dive into the creation of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre won’t find what they’re looking for here. But again, you can check out movies like Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth (a solid documentary in its own right) for that. Chain Reactions offers something quite different and arguably much deeper. Instead of focusing on how the film came to be, it looks at why it became one of horror’s most important entries of all time. And it does so through the exceptional insight by these five fans, all of whom have become important contributors to the medium in their own right.

The Overlook Film Festival takes place in New Orleans from April 3rd through the 6th.

8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Alexandre O. Philippe brings his unique documentary approach to Chain Reactions to great effect, finding a new lens through which to view The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's legacy. Through his five interview subjects, Philippe captures plenty of insight and a personal side to how the 1974 proto-slasher spread its wings. This is 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.