Chainsaws Were Singing – Review | Fantasia (4/5)

CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING is an absolutely fantastic horror-comedy with a musical twist. It’s from Estonia which somehow only makes it even better. Screened for Fantasia 2024. Read our full Chainsaws Were Singing movie review!

CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING is a new horror-comedy from Estonia currently screening at Fantasia 2024. This is exactly the kind of movie that genre film festivals were made for. It’s the kind of venue that allows for these movies to exist.

As a horror-comedy slasher with a musical element, it’s not an easy sell. With the exception of film festivals. Not unlike One Cut of the Dead, this seems too crazy to work. And yet it absolutely does. Do not miss out on this one. Watch it when you get the chance.

Continue reading our Chainsaws Were Singing movie review below.

A ridiculously funny slasher

The title of Chainsaws Were Singing is almost a mini plot description. There’s a killer with a chainsaw and it’s a musical. Of course, any movie with these two elements also needs humor to work. And this genre mix serves funny moments in spades.

As weird and unique as it is, Chainsaws Were Singing is also the most ridiculously funny slasher. There is a dark origin story for our singing killer, which also needs some humor to not be fully heartbreaking.

If I were to just describe his life, it would sound like a horror drama. However, the killer’s own theme song alone is pure joy!

A stellar comedic element also comes from the sidekick of the male protagonist. He somehow changes clothes constantly. It’s never commented on, but whether he’s driving a car or tied up by a lunatic, his clothes continues to change. It’s brilliant!

Do not miss out on this one!

This horror-musical-comedy hybrid has been described as having an “infectious playfulness that will put a song in your heart and a smile on your face” which I could not put better myself. And I wholeheartedly agree!

It really is exactly what it says in the PR material. Take the wacky comedy of Monty Python and tell the story of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and then add a touch of Les Misérables.

That doesn’t sound like the recipe for a hit movie, but made with this cast and crew, it works! Even more so because the entire blood-soaked story in this musical is told over the course of one day. But what a day!

A day that includes a chainsaw solo (oh yeah!), a singing killer, true love being found and then separated by the chainsaw killer. Also, there’s a second love story that I do not want to spoil here. But Luke and Leia have nothing on these twins. Good Lord, it’s crazy!

Watch Chainsaws Were Singing whenever you can!

Estonian filmmaker Sander Maran directed, wrote, scored, shot, and edited this glorious little genre hybrid. It’s a DIY project full of passion and this underground independent project is something he can be immensely proud of. As I’m sure he is.

This isn’t the first horror musical I’ve watched, but it’s still one of the few. And definitely one of the very best. If not the best. Sure, it could’ve been a little shorter as a runtime of 1 hour and 57 minutes is a lot for a horror-comedy. Yet, I didn’t want it to end.

All movies are made for their audiences (the good ones, anyway), but this one seems tailor-made for a film festival audience. If you can, you won’t regret watching it on the big screen. In other words, jump at the chance for a screening on the big screen.

I expected to like this as just good fun that would be okay to watch as part of a film festival season. As it turns out, this is likely to be one of the most memorable movies of the season. Even the songs are infectious and despite not speaking Estonian, I was singing along.

Chainsaws Were Singing is screening at Fantasia 2024. It’s bound to be a film festival hit worldwide, so catch it whenever you can.

Details

Director: Sander Maran
Writers: Sander Maran
Stars: Karl-Joosep Ilves, Laura Niils, Janno Puusepp, Martin Ruus, Rita Rätsepp