Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III 1990

In the opening moments, we delve into the dark legacy of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, learning of the tragic fate of Sally Hardesty, who succumbed to catatonia in 1977. Additionally, we discover the grim tale of W.E. Sawyer, an unseen family member, who faced trial and execution in 1981. During the proceedings, the jury concluded the uncertain fate of Leatherface, as he had never been apprehended.

The film begins with a young couple, Ryan (William Butler) and Michelle (Kate Hodge), embarking on a journey from California to Florida to return a borrowed vehicle. However, their travels take a disturbing turn as they encounter a desolate area littered with roadkill, warning that “there’s roadkill all over Texas.” Stopped at a checkpoint due to the desecration of a cemetery, they discover it holds the remains of 40 to 70 bodies hastily discarded.

After passing through this harrowing scene, they find themselves at a service station run by Alfredo Sawyer (Tom Everett), a member of the cannibal family. It is at this service station that they meet Tex (Viggo Mortensen), who intervenes just in time to shield Michelle from Alfredo’s unwanted attention. A confrontation ensues, resulting in Alfredo brandishing a shotgun and shooting at Tex. The couple, now traumatized, flee the scene with Tex’s directions ringing in their ears.

Unbeknownst to them, those directions would lead them into the clutches of Leatherface (R.A. Mihailoff), while another family member, Tinker Sawyer (Joe Unger), is in hot pursuit. As Tinker knocks their vehicle off the road, Ryan and Michelle find themselves stranded, only to cross paths with Leatherface during their efforts to change a tire. Though they manage to escape, they are plunged further into chaos as Tex reappears, causing another accident.

They are rescued by a rugged survivalist named Benny (Ken Foree), who reveals his brethren were victims of the Sawyer family, fueling his thirst for retribution. Benny bandages their wounds before confronting Tinker, barely evading a near-fatal encounter with Leatherface. In a twist of fate, a young girl named Gina distracts Leatherface, providing Benny a much-needed reprieve.

Tragically, while Benny seeks out Ryan and Michelle, they have inadvertently left Gina behind as she meets an untimely demise at the hands of Leatherface. The horror escalates as Ryan confronts Leatherface and falls prey to a deadly bear trap. In desperation, he urges Michelle to flee, but she’s soon caught in a disturbing scene where a young girl reveals a doll made from bones amidst a grotesque display of human remains.

As the nightmare unfolds, Benny encounters Alfredo, confronting him as he disposes of bodies in a swamp. Following this, Ryan is unceremoniously hanged in a grotesque machine, while Mama Sawyer (Miriam Byrd-Nethery), a decrepit matriarch confined to a wheelchair, oversees the grisly events.

With the sun setting on this family dinner, Leatherface wields a new chainsaw, invoking the chilling phrase, > “the Saw is Family.” However, luck seems to be on Michelle’s side as Benny storms the kitchen, armed with an M-16 rifle, obliterating Mama Sawyer, Grandpa Sawyer, and Tinker Sawyer just as they prepare to feast on her.

In a moment of chaotic heroism, Michelle seizes her chance, escaping into the darkness, pursued closely by Leatherface. As Benny fights Tex, a gasoline explosion engulfs the tragic antagonist in flames. In a climactic showdown, Benny saves Michelle and fends off Leatherface, but not without sacrifice.

The film reaches its graphic crescendo as Michelle ultimately confronts Alfredo, finds herself cornered in a twisted game of survival, yet manages to shoot him dead just as Benny reawakens. Together, they make their desperate escape, unaware that Leatherface, along with his young daughter, watches them, still lurking in the shadows of their twisted legacy.