Tune into Inside the Arthouse to hear director Alexandre O. Philippe discuss Chain Reactions (releasing at the Laemmle NoHo 7 on September 19th) with co-hosts Greg Laemmle and Raphael Sbarge
Few horror films have left as deep an imprint as Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Half a century after its 1974 debut, the film remains a touchstone for fans and filmmakers alike, continuing to disturb, arouse, and alienate in equal measure. With Chain Reactions, director Alexandre O. Philippe—long known for his thoughtful explorations of iconic cinematic moments—takes audiences back through Hooper’s beloved masterpiece frame by gruesome frame in an extensive deep dive into how the film continues to rattle and inspire.
Philippe has carved a niche for himself with documentaries that magnify individual films from unusual angles. 78/52 explored not all of Psycho, but specifically its infamous shower scene. Memory: The Origins of Alien looked not only at Ridley Scott’s classic, but at the deep cultural and artistic roots of its terror. Chain Reactions continues in this vein by giving the floor to five prominent cinephiles, each with their own unique relationship to Hooper’s landmark horror.
The lineup befits the stature of its subject: writer and comedian Patton Oswalt, Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, legendary novelist Stephen King, and director Karyn Kusama. Each interview is presented in full, creating a kind of oral history told in parallel lines.
While the documentary refrains from attempting to weave these voices into a single argument or narrative, that separation becomes part of its design. Instead, viewers are invited to treat each reflection as its own isolated story, bound together not by commentary from Philippe, but by the footage itself: battered 16mm prints, drive-in reels, VHS transfers, pristine restorations, and beyond.
Ultimately, Chain Reactions doesn’t try to be more than it is: five passionate people talking about a film they love. As it makes its way into theaters, the documentary stands as both a tribute and a reminder that some shocks never fade.
“An investigation into how one horror movie made for, as King puts it, “chump change,” went on to become one of the most influential films of all time.” – Emma Kiely, Collider
“Exploration of our inexplicable attraction to horror is the true theme of the brilliantly titled Chain Reactions.” – Christian Zilko, Indiewire
“Not only solidifies how a film as iconic as Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains that way, but how, even decades later, we’re still finding unique burrows within it to explore.” – Spencer Perry, ComicBook.com