The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Ending Explained – Does Sally escape?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Plot Synopsis

Sally, Franklin, and their three friends are headed to find the grave of Sally’s grandfather. After their van runs out of gas, they land at the doorsteps of sin personified – armed with a chainsaw. The more they try to escape, the bloodier it keeps getting.

Where is Sally’s grandpa’s grave?

Sally, accompanied by her friends, is trying to investigate whether the reports of grave robbing hold water. The grave of Sally’s grandpa is located in a remote part of rural Texas – where it is hard to find people.

Despite the place’s eeriness, the friends soon decide to extend their plan and discover Sally’s old family farmhouse too.

Was their journey normal?

It was anything but. They pick up a hitchhiker on the way who seems anything but safe to have in the car. He tells he is coming from the slaughterhouse and continues to talk mindlessly about weird topics.

The hitchhiker shows them a couple of horrific photos of the slaughterhouse before snatching Franklin’s pocket knife. He then cuts his palm, and bizarrely enjoys the sight of flowing blood. The group throws him out of the van when he cuts Franklin’s arm with the knife.

What happens next?

After they get rid of the hitchhiker, they soon run out of gas. At the gas station, they are told the pumps are empty, and they would have to wait. And they are forced to continue on foot. Two members of the group, Kirk and Pam stumble across a deserted house.

While Pam waits outside, Kirk enters the house hoping to find gas. Leatherface, a big man wearing a tie, an apron, and a face mask made up of human skin, appears and kills Kirk with the strike of his hammer.

Pam soon follows into the house and is immediately terrified by the very vibe inside. Before she can get out, Leatherface catches her and impales her on the meat-hook.

Who comes looking for Kirk and Pam?

Jerry, another one of the friends, comes looking for the two who are missing. He gets into Leatherface’s house and finds Pam alive inside a freezer. Before he can help Pam, Leatherface gets him too – in a similar manner.

In pitch dark, Sally and Franklin head out looking for their friends. Once again, Leatherface pops out of nowhere and severs Franklin’s entire body with his chainsaw killing him instantly.

Terrified, Sally gets on the run. She flees to the gas station – where the proprietor tricks her into believing him. He then ties her and drives her to the same house where Hitchhiker also arrives at the same time. Hitchhiker is revealed to be Leatherface’s brother.

Does Sally escape?

Sally is in a creepy house full of psychopaths. The men’s teasing soon turns into torture. At the same time, Leatherface is seen serving dinner dressed as a woman. The brothers, Leatherface and Hitchhiker, bring at the dinner what appears to be a desiccated body of an old man. They call the body their Grandpa.

Initially thought to be dead, he sucks blood from a cut on Sally’s finger revealing he is alive. For his honour, he is asked to hit Sally with the hammer. However, he is too feeble to lift the hammer.

While the silliness of the vampires continues, Sally manages to slip out. Leatherface follows her brandishing his chainsaw. During the chase, a truck runs over Hitchhiker killing him on the spot.

The truck driver stops to help Sally but flees on foot once the situation gets out of control. Finally, after a long struggle, Sally gets on the back of a pickup truck to narrowly escape Leatherface’s whirring chainsaw. Seeing Sally get away, Leatherface frantically waves the chainsaw in frustration.