The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) - Awesome horror remake!

In my opinion, usually many remakes of horror films kinda destroy the quality of their older generation film by using overpowered special FX and filming methods etc. However, this is one film in many that I believe was remade in such a fantastic way. Honestly, I LOVED the older generation Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), but being completely honest, I thought the remake in 2003 was absolutely incredible.

The film lasts a fair amount of time being 98 minutes, and is directed by Marcus Nispel. The movie basically revolves around a small group of young adults in Texas consisting of - Erin (Jessica Biel), her boyfriend Kemper (Eric Balfour), and their friends Andy (Mike Vogel), Morgan (Jonathon Tucker), and a hitchhiker named Pepper (Erica Leerhsen) - who are all travelling home from Mexico after seeing a Lynnard Skynnard gig.
After a long distance travelling, they come near a small and seemingly abandoned village, and stop due to a disturbed hitchhiker wandering on the road (Pepper). After the teens pick up Pepper, she seems very depressed and commits suicide with a gun inside the car after refusing to speak. Instead of leaving her aside on the road, the group make a moral decision in getting help for the hitchhiker, and begin by looking for a telephone to call the sheriff. 

During the time they wait for the sheriff to arrive, the group wonder through the small village, meeting locals as they explore and discovering more about the village. Soon enough, the group are picked off one by one by a man in a very demented face. The group have a sudden epiphany soon, and begin to do all they can to escape the village full of cannibals, and the mad-man equipped with the chainsaw attempting to completely shred each and every one of the teens.

For a modern horror, I believe that this film is truly exceptional and very consistent in its methods to create fear in the audience, and perfectly fits the horror genre. I also find the plot to be very appropriate for a film based around a 'mad-man with a chainsaw', but most importantly alongside the plot, the film is a perfect example to anyone in how to create and develop such a frightening atmosphere, and a distinct feeling of hopelessness.

Nispel's methods of developing tension throughout the film are intriguing and perfect, and I feel his spooky silences, followed by loud sounds and chases featuring 'the mad-man with the chainsaw' are very exciting. During this, the director involves a high level of gore to very successfully heighten our fear and sympathy for each of the young adults as we watch each of them inevitably suffer.

Therefore, obviously the older generation film is a classic, but this is a very gruesome and successful remake! I also noticed that this in comparison to the older film was better in a way that it wasn't like a documentary at all (whilst the older one was), and it didn't use any cliched methods in attempt to frighten the audience, but used very different, and VERY successful techniques in order to startle me.

Overall, the film is highly recommended from me, since it is well-filmed, well-acted, and the tension and suspense are exceptional in creating the sublime remake.