The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre from 1974 is a standard of horror, and it was such a shocking and violent film that several countries banned it from being screened upon its initial release. Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre is the first and original film in the sprawling Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre franchise and kicked off Tobe Hooper’s career as a horror director. Though he may never have reached the heights of this early movie in his oeuvre, few horror directors can claim anything as influential as The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre​​​​.

Horror movies have been ripping off The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre since it came out, and the original Hooper film is so good, that even the ripoffs are excellent and have had ripoffs of their own. From the masked villain, the common tool used for violence, hitchhikers, a final girl, sinister musical cues, and an unexplained backstory, The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre introduced or popularized numerous horror tropes, and did it all with a shockingly gruesome and vicious story. It was so affronting, that several countries had it banned.

The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre Was Banned

11 Countries Had The Film Banned At One Time

When The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre first went to the MPAA, Hooper hoped the film would receive a “PG” rating because there was no visible blood in the film (via FreedomEntertainment). Instead, his movie earned an X rating. Hooper removed several minutes from the film to bring it down to an “R”. Still, the film was met with disgust and anger by many viewers. Two theaters in Ottawa, Canada were advised by local police to remove the film or face morality charges (via OttawaCitizen).

The movie ended up being banned in 11 countries for anywhere from one to 30 years. In some countries, like Canada, the film was only banned in one or two towns, while in others, it faced a total ban (via BannedLibrary). The ban has been repealed from every country that ever put it on a list, but its time on those lists has only increased the legacy of the film as an iconic horror movie.

Why The Texas Chain Saw Mᴀssacre Got Such A Strong Reaction

The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre Feels Real

The number one reason given for the different bans includes graphic and sadistic violence throughout, and in that, the censors are correct. The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre is filled with particularly sadistic and graphic violence. The violence in the film feels very real. The horror the innocent characters face seems like something captured on a home video, and that can certainly make it hard to stomach. It’s a mean movie. Kind characters are unceremoniously brutalized, and no explanation is given for their fates.

One of the most frightening moments in The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre franchise comes during the first film and is representative of this “angry” horror. Kirk (William Vail) wanders into the abandoned house to ask for gas, only for a sliding door to suddenly open to reveal the hulking Leatherface, who smashes Kirk with a hammer. It’s almost soundless and there’s little time to process what’s happening. His shudders on the ground are like those of an animal at a slaughterhouse, and would certainly be particularly affecting to audiences unused to that type of violence.

How The Rest Of The Franchise Compares

No Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre Movie Matches The Terror Of The First

As violent as the rest of The Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre movies are, none achieve the same brutality as the first. That’s because none of these films can surprise like the first film. It came out of nowhere, whereas the follow-ups will always have expectations attached to them with the Texas Chainsaw Mᴀssacre moniker. The best of these have leaned into the ridiculousness of the violence and shock because none of them can match the original in terms of real terror.