Fantasia 2024: Chainsaws Were Singing

With the makings of a cult classic, “Chainsaws Were Singing” is weird, wild, and wonderful — a true DIY original in a sea of sameness.

Chainsaws Were Singing (2024) is an Estonian horror comedy musical directed by Sander Maran. This genre-bending extravaganza is a wild ride that will leave viewers either utterly delighted or completely bewildered — and there’s no in-between.

The film follows three interconnected stories, each focusing on a different character’s journey.

We meet Maria (Lauar Niils), a young woman whose day goes from unbelievably bad to much worse when she falls into the grasp of a chainsaw-wielding killer with a penchant for musical soliloquies (Martin Ruus). On the day of her kidnapping, she meets the hapless romantic Tom (co-writer Karl Ilves), whose inexplicably rapid infatuation for Maria fuels his noble quest. We also get some witty commentary on the woman in peril trope and how beautiful, capable women often settle.

With the help of his travel companion, the scene-stealing Janno Puusepp as loveable weirdo Jaan, the unlikely hero Tom gets caught up in increasingly dire and absurd situations.

Rounding out the eccentric cast are Rita Rätsepp as the killer’s overbearing mother, Ra Ragnar Novod as Pepe, the younger brother and aspiring artist, and Peeter Maran and Henryk Johan Novod as a loving gay couple who double as doting new fathers and psychopathic killers.

Chainsaws Were Singing is not for everyone.

That’s an undeniable fact even director and co-writer Maran wholeheartedly acknowledges. At the Fantasia Film Festival screening, he introduced the film by saying, “The film is a bit too long for a genre film, with 117 minutes, a bit too violent, a bit too naughty, definitely too musical.”

That’s a perfect encapsulation of a movie that really shouldn’t work. Yet, somehow, it works exceedingly well, at least for the right audience.

The good news is that you’ll know in the first five minutes whether this film is for you. From the jump, it’s clear that this is not your typical horror film. Heck, it’s not your typical ANYTHING!

The movie throws everything but the kitchen sink at the audience. Cannibalistic families, bukkake cults, keystone cops, an 80s-style action hero named Cobra, singing hippies, lesbian hedgehogs, and suicidal meet-cutes are just a few of the bizarre elements that make up this cinematic fever dream.

A serial killer singing about how much he loves to kill while butchering everyone in sight is simultaneously grisly and joyful.

If you find yourself laughing in disbelief within the first few scenes, buckle up; you’re in for a treat.

What sets Chainsaws Were Singing apart is its commitment to its musical elements.

The numbers are surprisingly catchy and genuinely entertaining, often serving to move the plot forward in unexpected ways. A standout moment features the otherwise silent killer performing an epic chainsaw solo while singing about his calling — it’s as ridiculous and awesome as it sounds.

Despite its absurdist trappings, Chainsaws Were Singing manages to make us care about its core quartet of characters. The performances are strong across the board, with the actors clearly having a blast.

Janno Puusepp as Jaan is a particular standout, bringing endearing oddball energy to every scene he’s in. His song was my runaway favorite, singing joyfully about his” optimistic” world outlook that encourages him to enjoy every moment, knowing the next one will surely be much, much worse.

Visually, the film embraces its low-budget roots, feeling like a lost B-movie slasher from the shot-on-video era. The practical effects, reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s early splatter comedies, are delightfully over-the-top, with chainsaws plunging into every imaginable body part. The obviously low-tech effects and intentionally bad CGI only add to the film’s comedic charm.

The film’s journey to the screen is almost as incredible as its plot. Shot in 2013, it spent a decade in post-production.

This labor of love shines through in every frame, making it clear that while the budget may have been minuscule, the passion was immense.

Chainsaws Were Singing wears its influences on its blood-soaked sleeve.

It’s an homage to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, filtered through the absurdist lens of Monty Python, with a healthy dose of irreverent Adult Swim-style sketch comedy.

Fans of cult oddities like All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, Hundreds of Beavers, and Cannibal! The Musical will find plenty to love here. It feels like a cross between a Troma production and the viral sensation Too Many Cooks.

While the film revels in its gore and absurdity, it also touches on some surprisingly heartfelt themes.

At its core, it’s about staying positive and hopeful in the bleakest of situations. It’s also about staying true to yourself, even when the cold and cruel world tries its hardest to change you.

It playfully subverts horror tropes like mommy issues, revenge missions, backwoods maniacs, final girls, and slashers with tragic backstories, all while maintaining a genuine affection for the genres it’s parodying.

In full disclosure, it doesn’t all work and will work far less for some viewers than others. The film’s main weakness is its two-hour runtime. The concept, brilliant as it is, occasionally wears thin, and a tighter edit could have enhanced the overall impact. The middle section, in particular, drags a bit, but the film bookends it with a stellar beginning and end.

For the most part, there’s too much WTF absurdity ever to get boring, and it’s a blast trying to figure out what Maran will throw at you next and how he plans to top the outrageousness of each prior scene continuously.

If it runs a tad too long, you’ll most likely be quick to forgive it, given everything else it does so right.

Those who prefer their horror straightforward or their comedy subtle should look elsewhere.

However, for fans of midnight movies, irreverent humor, and gory practical effects, it’s a must-see. The film is best experienced with a rowdy audience or a group of like-minded friends ready to embrace the insanity.

In conclusion, Chainsaws Were Singing is a treat for fans of DIY outsider art and a love letter to the horror genre in all its gory, campy glory. It’s best to go in as blind as possible, skipping the trailer if you can resist. While it may not be for everyone, those who connect with its wavelength will find themselves swept up in a uniquely entertaining experience. The overwhelmingly positive reaction from the sold-out crowd at Fantasia is a testament to its potential as a future cult classic.

It’s also a treat for the ACAB crowd, only, in this case, that stands for “All Cops are Buffoons.” The hilariously inept pair of cops in the film adds considerable levity and one of the funnier recurring bits while ensuring that their ineptitude causes as much carnage as possible.

Chainsaws Were Singing is a reminder that sometimes, the most memorable cinematic experiences come from the fringes of filmmaking, where passion and creativity trump budget constraints.