The 10 Best Chainsaw Movies Aside from 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

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If you ask someone to think of a "chainsaw movie," the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the first thing that comes to most people's minds. It was a groundbreaking 1974 horror film about a group of young people who are targeted by a cannibalistic family, one of whom is infamously wielding a chainsaw. It helped introduce the project's cinematic potential as a weapon, and it remains a pop culture staple thanks to various sequels and remakes.

However, as the following films demonstrate, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre did not have a monopoly on mechanical power tools/improvised weapons. All of these are examples of famous chainsaw usage outside of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. Interestingly, all of the films were also released after 1974, perhaps indicating the trendsetting and influential nature of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

1 'Bad Taste' (1987)

Before making any high-budget films set in Middle-earth or mini-documentaries about the Beatles, Peter Jackson was a low-budget horror filmmaker making films in his native New Zealand. The first of these was Bad Taste, a very gory horror-comedy about a group of young men who bravely stand up against alien invaders. eat them.

This is an extremely chaotic movie, with bloody deaths of humans and aliens alike. Some of this is the result of Derek (played by Jackson himself) using a chainsaw as a weapon against alien invaders. They might not be ideal weapons in real life, but Bad Taste makes a strong case for them being useful in the event of an alien invasion.

2 'American Psycho' (2000)

Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is one of the scariest protagonists in movie history. By day, he's a lazy and rich investment banker, and by night, he's a serial killer... probably. The movie is a bit ambiguous about whether his murders actually happened, and if so, which ones were imagined and which ones actually happened.

However, in one particularly tense scene, Bateman wields a chainsaw and either uses it or imagines using it to take out one of his victims. It's an absurd scene, making it easier to imagine than imagine, but it's still a pretty scary scene anyway, as the chainsaw makes an already terrifying character even scarier.

3 'Godzilla: Final Wars' (2004)

Although Gigan has previously appeared in the Godzilla series Godzilla: Final War, the 2004 film -- made to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary -- marked the first time he got a chainsaw. He re-entered the team stronger than ever, as this time instead of the bladed hook hand he used to have, he wielded a chainsaw hand.

Gigan's dramatic glow is just one reason "Final Wars" has a reputation as one of the craziest films in the Godzilla franchise. The movie pits the titular monster against just about every foe he's encountered in the series, delivering a near-constant stream of explosive blows and destruction. Yep, Geoghan gets the chainsawman.

4 'The Machine Girl' (2008)

If Robocop had a lower budget, was set in Japan, and featured female college students instead of police officers, it might look a bit like The Machine Girl. The main character, Ami, was hit hard by villains who killed her younger brother and made her lose her left arm. She manages to mount a machine gun where her arm used to be, and begins to exact her bloody revenge.

Ami also teamed up with another woman Named Miki, his weapon of choice is a chainsaw. Ami herself starts using it in the film's climax, which means that while The Machine Girl is most focused on showing the main character chopping people down with a high-powered gun, it doesn't skimp on the chainsaw action either.

5 'Pacific Rim' (2013)

Pacific Rim is a science fiction film set in the not-so-distant year 2025. In the film, Earth is constantly under attack from giant alien creatures invading through mysterious portals, so humanity bands together to build equally massive robots (called Jaegers) each piloted by a pair of humans, mechanically constructed to take on the Intruders match.

One of these mechas is known as the Crimson Typhoon, and the end of its arm can transform into a spinning saw similar to a chainsaw. Some could argue that it's not really a chainsaw, but it serves a similar role in combat, looks cool, and it's also an attachment to a giant mechanized robot, so it passes.

6 'Scarface' (1983)

The 1983 crime film Scarface offered a less amusing and darker depiction of the on-screen chainsaw mayhem. A remake of the 1932 gangster film of the same name, A nearly three-hour epic about one man's dramatic rise in the Miami criminal underworld and his equally dramatic fall due to his greed and thirst for power.

Earlier in the film, he is threatened with a chainsaw by another criminal, though his accomplice is threatened much more than that, killed off-screen (only) by a power tool. It's a horrific scene, even if not much is actually shown, and it's certainly a far cry from the more explosive and cinematic violence that famously ends the film.

7 'Evil Dead 2' (1987) & 'Army of Darkness' (1992)

The first Evil Dead didn't include any chainsaws, probably due to its incredibly low budget and emphasis on including real horror rather than a comedic splash. But with a bigger budget and a slightly funnier tone, there's a chance to work in some chainsaws, as in the two sequels to Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness.

It is used the most in the second film, thanks to the main character, Ash, who discovers it hiding in a tool shed and realizes within a short time that it is an effective weapon against the lower horde. He can even pin it to his arm, where his hand used to be Yes, let him have a working chainsaw arm. This is brilliant stuff.

8 'Mandy' (2018)

Some very strange films can be found in Nicolas Cage's film catalog, but very few of them give him the chance to enter a chainsaw duel. It Happened to Mandy, a dark and surreal film about seeking revenge at any cost, all done in a unique style and featuring some pretty exaggerated violence.

Cage's character encounters a number of strange enemies in his quest for revenge, including a man wielding a chainsaw. Naturally, the only thing that can beat a chainsaw is another chainsaw. Few other sentences appeal to Cage fans like "Mandy features Nicolas Cage getting in a chainsaw fight". So, naturally, it's a must-see movie.

9 'The Running Man' (1987)

When it comes to dystopian films in which participants are forced to compete in dramatic death battles, The Running Man leads the way. Before Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, this 1987 film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as he saw his character forced to survive a series of brutal, deadly challenges live on TV.

He is one of them Clashing with the name Buzzsaw, it's no surprise to learn that the guy's favorite weapon is a chainsaw. So, like Mandy, "The Runner" is famous for giving an iconic actor the chance to engage in a chainsaw fight, making it one of the most memorable scenes in the movie.

10 'Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome' (1985)

Those expecting a lot of chainsaw action from the third Mad Max movie may be disappointed, but at least it leads to an interesting scene. The titular character finds himself competing in the Thunderdome, which is like a post-apocalyptic gladiator arena, and in one of his fights, he chooses to use a chainsaw against his opponent.

However, as a weapon, it's a dud, since fuel is a rare commodity, and the chainsaw that Max picks up requires it to work. Unfortunately, that does mean it's not fully used for the fight in any spectacular way, but at least it's a fun moment that fits the relatively lighthearted and comedic (compared to the other films in the series) Beyond Thunderdome.