Written and directed by Sander Maran, based on a story co-written by leading actor Karl Ilves, adventures await when new lovers are separated by a chainsaw killer. Also starring: Laura Niils, Martin Ruus, Janno Puusepp, Rita Rätsepp, Henryk Johan Novod, Ra Ragnar Novod and Peeter Maran.
It’s a risk to make any musical, a bigger risk to make an original one and even bigger risk when it’s a parody, let alone one that’s half comedy, half ultra-violent horror flick so it’s safe to say Sander Maran was taking a big old swing with Chainsaws Were Singing but it pays off. It’s genuinely impressive how Maran makes the musical element work within this genre and style. The bizarre mix of wholesome energy, lovely scenery, excessive blood and extra-enthusiastic yet crude singing surprisingly works well. It hits the parody note perfectly and purely has fun with it.
The tone is ultra-silly but in an entertaining way, Maran does a wonderful job of knowing where the line is in becoming too moronic or gross, never crossing it but coming as close as possible. His directorial style nicely mirrors the 1970s, the texture, colouring and movement all lock in with that vibe. Colour is something the filmmakers use very well, playing around with black and white to highlight different moments. There’s some great editing work, also by Maran, that helps to add even more personality.
There’s nothing about Chainsaws Were Singing that isn’t imaginative and creative, whether it be little touches or big scenes, its imagination never ceases. Even considering the fact that it’s so clearly influenced by iconic pieces of horror cinema, that doesn’t stop it from feeling original. It’s akin to the Scandinavian sense of humour, in that they’re so skilled at taking something inherently dark but finding the comedy in it. There are also parts of it that feel reminiscent of Cop Secret, in a charmingly and intentionally bumbling kind of way.
Not to mention that they put plenty of effort into the effects to make sure that the audience gets plenty of gore and blood, to a pretty respectable level. Then you’ve got the cast who are a sincerely wonderful bunch who really give their all to Chainsaws Were Singing. It’s admirable in the first place that they can sing out this ridiculous dialogue with a straight face. They truly embrace the over the top nature to the film and look like they’re having a great time doing it.
Karl Ilves and Laura Niils capture that old-school romance feel really well, the head over heels, love at first sight kind of puppy dog love but with added adult vibes. Janno Puusepp’s Jaan is an inexplicable oddity who is a lot of fun to watch, he’s a force of nature and it’s impossible to predict what he might do or cause next.
Martin Ruus is excellent as the chainsaw wielding killer with slight misgivings about his career as a butcher of anyone and everyone. Rita Rätsepp taps perfectly into the 1970s horror movie mother, toxic, manipulative and overbearing. Henryk Johan Novod and Ra Ragnar Novod somehow make a gay, incestuous couple work, it’s endearing in the most twisted of ways. Peeter Maran then rounds out the family well as the hope for a less violent future.
Chainsaws Were Singing is endlessly creative, it’s exactly what you think it will be, but it works a hundred times better than you probably expected. Pulling off this concept is pretty remarkable because it sounds like something that shouldn’t work and yet fans of trashy horror from the 1970s and 1980s will revel in this. It’s maybe a tiny bit long and draws out its finale further than it needed to but it’s bloody good fun.
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