The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre parents guide

Of what we could confirm, nothing runs past an R: intense fear and several jump scares.

Scare

Terrifying

Our top level for fear.

Jump scares

Several

More than a couple of sudden jolts.

Gore

Graphic gore

Blood and wounds shown clearly.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

Sex and nudity

None flagged

It is rated R, so treat our zero as unconfirmed.

Language

Moderate

Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre scary?

Yes. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of the scariest titles in the CouchRot catalog.

How gory is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre rated, and is it OK for kids?

No. It is rated R, with intense fear, several jump scares and brutal violence.

What is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre about?

Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way, they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.

Cast and crew

More like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

• Evil Dead Burn (2026)Terrifying · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA woman's grief turns to terror as her new family succumbs to a relentless, chilling demonic possession.
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• Talk to Me (2023)Terrifying · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyFriends conjure spirits with an embalmed hand, unleashing chilling forces with bleak and gritty consequences.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)Terrifying · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA burned killer hunts teenagers in their dreams, turning sleep into a chilling and surreal battle for survival.
• The Shining (1980)Terrifying · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingA family's isolated winter retreat becomes a slow-burn descent into chilling, surreal madness.
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)Terrifying · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyFive friends encounter a traumatized hitchhiker, then face relentless, gritty terror from a chainsaw-wielding killer.
• Saw II (2005)Terrifying · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA detective races against time as a gruesome game unfolds, orchestrated by a chilling and relentless killer.
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is on our Halloween, Scariest, Slashers, Under 90 minutes and 1970s lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a horror movie that's actually scary”
• “scary but not gory”
• “a fun halloween movie, not too scary”

Lists with the same feel: Most violent and Edge of your seat.