The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Tobe Hooper’s grim, grainy shocker introduced Leatherface — a chainsaw-wielding killer inspired by real-life murderer Ed Gein. Following a group of friends who stumble into a family of cannibals, the film’s raw intensity and documentary-style realism changed horror filmmaking forever. It’s still one of the most disturbing—and influential—movies ever made.