There is an interesting fan theory on the internet, suggesting that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre‘s iconic Leatherface character might just be a woman.
The Redditor explains that the behaviours of Leatherface in the movie mirror that of a 70’s housewife. Leatherface prepares the food, and we can assume that ‘she’ also deals with the decorating of the house – all while the family is out working or playing. An example the theorist gives of this behaviour, is Leatherface’s hostile reaction when the freezer has been meddled with.
Another hint that the masked, cannibal lead could be a female is the use of make-up. Leatherface is seen applying lipstick and blusher to one of the masks that is worn later on in the film.
The final argument mentioned is the noises that Leatherface makes throughout the movie. The Redditor expresses that the noises made seem to be too high-pitched, especially for a man of that size. However, I would argue that the character being that size, supports the more popular assumption that Leatherface is indeed a male.
I like this theory, though it was quickly shut down by a fellow Redditor, explaining:
“In the commentary Toby Hooper kind of addresses that. Leatherface is male, but takes up the role of family members that aren’t there, meaning wife and mother. He even puts on his “pretty” face during the dinner scene, wearing the skin mask with makeup smeared all over it.”
So, although we can be fairly certain that Leatherface is a man, Bloody Disgusting reported that this nearly wasn’t the case in the prequel, Leatherface. At FrightFest last year, filmmakers Bustillo and Maury said:
“Yeah, we thought about making Leatherface a female.”
Maury later explained further, stating:
“We loved that idea that the audience could think that even her [Jessica Madsen’s character] could be the boogeyman in the end in people’s mind, And it wasn’t a so crazy idea to have regarding the passion Leatherface had for dresses and makeup in the previous movies.”
It really makes you think.
What do you think of the idea of a female Leatherface? Let us know in the comments!