My Thoughts on Chainsaws Were Singing
I didn’t have an Estonian horror musical with so much bizarreness thrown in I wondered what the hell I was watching, on my horror movie bingo card for 2025.
Chainsaws Were Singing is so bizarre in fact, I don't even really want to spoil anything about it, so will keep this fairly short on certain details.
The opening scene throws you straight into the story without warning, where Maria, played by Laura Niils, is racing through the woods while a chainsaw wielding murderer - simply named Killer and played by Martin Ruus - is chasing her with an unsettling enthusiasm.
Maria slips away long enough to meet Tom, a gentle guy played by Karl Ilves, and the two carve out a short, odd, but genuinely sweet connection, and their chemistry has a strange spark to it, as if both characters can sense they’re in a world that doesn’t follow any normal rules.
That moment of calm doesn’t last long though, as Killer eventually drags Maria back to his family home, where the movie really starts to show off its personality, as this whole family is so absurdly cheerful that you almost forgot Maria is in danger - almost.
As mentioned, I don't want to spoil too much, as this movie shows you an entire toolkit of weirdness, featuring bright musical numbers, gore, jokes that come out of nowhere, and a willingness to push absurdity as far as it’ll go.
Some films try and ease you in before revealing their wild side, but this one throws glitter, blood, and a guitar riff in your face before you’ve even settled into your seat, and if that's your kind of thing, you will love Chainsaws Were Singing, but this approach practically guarantees it won't be for everyone, and a lot of viewers will run the other way almost instantly.
The story also unfolds in chapters, each following a different character as they move toward the eventual showdown, which helps the pacing by shifting perspectives before anything grew stale, although it does have it's moments as the film is nearly 2 hours long.
The musical aspect of the film ended up being surprisingly charming, too, and I’m not always sold on horror musicals because the tones often clash, but here the songs feel like part of the world’s personality.
Most numbers are catchy, playful, and filled with a sort of reckless joy, and it’s all quite ambitious and confident enough that you just have to respect the attempt.
Talking about the acting is tricky, because the performances aren’t exactly grounded or subtle, but no one winks at the camera or tries to play the material with irony, as they all dive straight into the madness with full sincerity, and that sincerity ends up being what makes the comedy work.
As the story heads toward its conclusion, the film doubles down on being as strange and unapologetic as possible, and while not every choice lands, for the most part I did appreciate how determined the movie was to just keep its identity intact, as it is proudly bizarre, and I found myself enjoying its commitment to the weirdness, the same way I enjoy artists who’d rather make something specific and strange than something safe.
With that said, I fully understand anyone who sees the opening five minutes and immediately knows they’re not sticking around.