Dir: Alexandre O. Philippe | 103 min. | United States | 2025

Synopsis: Fifty years after Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE shocked the world and forever changed the face of global cinema and popular culture, CHAIN REACTIONS charts the film’s profound impact and lasting influence on five great artists – Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller- Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama – through early memories, sensory experiences, and childhood trauma. By crafting a dynamic dialogue between contemporary footage and never-before-seen outtakes and delving into personal impressions triggered by distinct audiovisual formats (16mm, 35mm, VHS, digital), CHAIN REACTIONS goes to the heart of how a scruffy, no-budget independent film wormed its way into our collective nightmares and permanently altered the zeitgeist.

Winner: Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema

Official Selection: Telluride Film Festival, Sitges, BFI London Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, Beyondfest,

Karlovy Vary Film Festival

“[An] exploration of our inexplicable attraction to horror.”

—Indiewire

“An extraordinary documentary about and extraordinary film.”

—Deadline

“A love letter to horror, art, influence, and how Tobe Hooper and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE changed cinema forever, whether you can stomach it or not.”

—Collider

“Brings reverence and respect to the classic film… five smart people

talking about a great film.

—Rue Morgue

“THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is as timely as it’s ever been… If you’re a fan, you’ll need to add CHAIN REACTIONS to your watch list.”

—Screen Anarchy

“Thought provoking… the different stories and viewpoints come together to create a fascinating dialogue that extends to the viewer.”

—The Daily Dead

Written & Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe

Produced by: Kerry Deignan Roy

Co-Produced by: Robert Muratore

Executive Produced by: Kim Henkel, Ian Henkel, Pat Cassidy, Hamza Ali, Badie Ali, Greg Newman

Director of Photography: Robert Muratore

About Alexandre O. Philippe
Throughout a body of work that includes 78/52 (Sundance 2017), Memory: The Origins of Alien (Sundance 2019), Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (Venice 2019, Sundance 2020), and Lynch/Oz (Tribeca 2022), Alexandre has developed his own brand of “cinema essay,” exploring the art of filmmaking and its practitioners. He won the 2024 Venice Classics Lion for Chain Reactions, which also had its North American premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, and will soon be released in theaters. Alexandre is currently working on multiple feature documentaries on cinema. His latest, Kim Novak’s Vertigo, premiered at the Venice Film Festival.