Texas Chainsaw 3D is a horror film that was released in 2013. It is the seventh installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, but it ignores all the previous sequels and remakes and acts as a direct sequel to the original film from 1974. The film stars Alexandra Daddario, Trey Songz, Scott Eastwood, Tania Raymonde, and Dan Yeager as Leatherface.
The film begins with footage from the original film, showing how Sally Hardesty escaped from Leatherface and his cannibalistic family. The local sheriff arrives at the Sawyer house and tries to arrest Leatherface peacefully, but a mob of angry townspeople attacks the house and burns it down, killing all the Sawyers except for Leatherface and a baby girl, who is taken by one of the mob members.
Twenty years later, the baby girl has grown up as Heather Miller (Daddario), who lives in Oklahoma with her adoptive parents. She receives a letter informing her that her grandmother Verna Carson has died and left her an estate in Texas. Heather decides to go to Texas with her boyfriend Ryan (Songz), her best friend Nikki (Raymonde), and Nikki's boyfriend Kenny (Keram Malicki-Sánchez). Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker named Darryl (Shaun Sipos).
When they arrive at the estate, Heather learns that she is actually a Sawyer and that her real name is Edith Rose Sawyer. She also finds out that she has inherited a large mansion and a lot of money. She decides to stay there for the night and explore the place. However, she is unaware that Leatherface (Yeager) is still alive and hiding in the basement of the mansion.
That night, Leatherface kills Darryl, who was trying to rob the mansion, and then goes after Heather and her friends. He kills Kenny and chases Heather and Nikki to a nearby carnival. There, he kills Nikki and wounds Ryan. Heather manages to escape from Leatherface and runs into a police officer named Carl Hartman (Eastwood), who is actually the son of one of the mob members who attacked the Sawyer house.
Hartman takes Heather to the police station, where he reveals his true identity and his plan to kill her and Leatherface. He also tells her that he was the one who sent her the letter about her inheritance, hoping to lure her and Leatherface out of hiding. He then takes Heather to an abandoned slaughterhouse, where he has tied up Leatherface and Ryan.
Hartman tortures Leatherface with his own chainsaw, while Heather tries to free herself and Ryan. She manages to get hold of a gun and shoots Hartman in the shoulder. She then frees Leatherface and gives him back his chainsaw. Leatherface kills Hartman and his accomplices, while Heather saves Ryan.
Heather then realizes that Leatherface is her cousin and decides to spare him. She tells him that they are family and that she will take care of him. She then leaves with Ryan in Hartman's car, while Leatherface stays behind in the slaughterhouse.
Texas Chainsaw 3D received mostly negative reviews from critics, who criticized its plot holes, clichés, poor acting, and lack of scares. The film has a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 86 reviews, with an average rating of 3.7/10. The site's consensus reads: "As an ugly and cynical attempt to rebrand Leatherface as horror anti-hero, Texas Chainsaw 3D is a bold move for the franchise. Unfortunately, it's not a particularly smart or scary one."
The film also received mixed reviews from fans of the original film, who were divided over its continuity changes, its portrayal of Leatherface as a sympathetic character, and its use of 3D effects. Some fans praised the film for its homage to the original film, its gore effects, and its twist ending, while others criticized the film for its lack of suspense, its poor dialogue, and its disrespect to the original film.
The film was a moderate box office success, grossing $47.2 million worldwide against a budget of $20 million. It was the second-highest-grossing film in the franchise, behind the 2003 remake, which grossed $107.1 million worldwide. The film also won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.