Toolbox Murders (2004)

47% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
36% of users liked it
(7,994 ratings)

Tobe Hooper, who directed one of the truly iconic American horror films of the 1970s, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, offers his take on another well-remembered scare-fest of the era with this remake. Steve (Brent Roam) and Nell (Angela Bettis) are a young couple living in Los Angeles who are short on… More Tobe Hooper, who directed one of the truly iconic American horror films of the 1970s, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, offers his take on another well-remembered scare-fest of the era with this remake. Steve (Brent Roam) and Nell (Angela Bettis) are a young couple living in Los Angeles who are short on money -- she's just started work as a teacher, while he's a medical student doing his internship. They rent a flat in the Lusman Arms, a once beautiful but now decaying (and therefore affordable) apartment building managed by the sleazy Byron McLieb (Greg Travis), who tries to pass off the ramshackle accommodations as "charming" and "historic." Watching over the Lusman Arms beside Byron is Ned (Adam Gierasch), a greasy simpleton who serves as the building's handyman. Steve and Nell haven't been living at the Lusman especially long when she notices that a growing number of young women living in the building have been meeting a violent death, and with some help from good-hearted part-time actor "Jazz" Rooker (Rance Howard), she begins looking into the murders and makes some disturbing discoveries about both the building management and her fellow tenants. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
Written By: Jace Anderson, Adam Gierasch
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Mar 15, 2005
Studio: LionsGate Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Russell Edwards, Variety
Toolbox may not renew the splatter genre in any significant way, but the chills and kills prove Hooper, when armed with the right script, can still tighten the fright screws.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
It's just so utterly ridiculous to watch...
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
Saying The Toolbox Murders is the finest Tobe Hooper film since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ... isn't saying much.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...Hooper creates a film that's almost as effective as his first big success - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
In a genre where so many titles disappoint, Hooper makes sure that this one won't.
Brian Thomas, Now Playing Magazine
[Hooper's] strongest, most frightening film in decades.
Bill Chambers, Film Freak Central
Hooper has dodged the lightning bolt of inspiration once again
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
Toolbox Murders is Hooper's best work in years.
Rod Gudino, Rue Morgue Magazine
Toolbox Murders is arguably the movie everyone has been waiting for Hooper to make since Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
A truly vicious, gruesome and utterly ludicrous movie that exists only to make us jump in our seats.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Tobe Hooper's latest is not unlike an episode of Melrose Place as imagined by Lucio Fulci.

Read all 11 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

Tobe Hooper's Remake of Denis Donnelly's Classic is almost a rebirth for Hooper who spent a decade making mediocre films. Unfortunately this would short lived for the director as he relapsed and made Mortuary, one of his worst films. But with this remake, Tobe Hooper returns… More
Tobe Hooper's Remake of Denis Donnelly's Classic is almost a rebirth for Hooper who spent a decade making mediocre films. Unfortunately this would short lived for the director as he relapsed and made Mortuary, one of his worst films. But with this remake, Tobe Hooper returns with a vengeance, though just for one film mind you. This film echoes his greatest works of the genre, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Funhouse and Poltergeist. It can be added to his list of greatest films even. This is a fine remake, a redeeming film for Hooper despite the fact a year later he made another mediocre film. His remake proves at least he can pull out an awesome film when he needs to. Unfortunately, Hooper's career is a joke nowadays. At least we have his great horror films such as TCM to remind us he was great. No matter what direction he takes, he's still a legend, even the greatest masters of horror have failed, Hooper however made a few duds. But this film he succeeded in creating something memorable but not original.
Emily A

Despite this cast's horror pedigree (Angela Bettis, Juliette Landau, etc.), there is really nothing special about this movie. It's just another formulaic film about some killer stalking people in an apartment building and killing them in nasty ways. If you've seen one,… More
Despite this cast's horror pedigree (Angela Bettis, Juliette Landau, etc.), there is really nothing special about this movie. It's just another formulaic film about some killer stalking people in an apartment building and killing them in nasty ways. If you've seen one, you've seen a million.
Cassandra M

Tobe Hooper's 2003 version of the Toolbox Murders is a fun little movie. It's a bloody good time to watch, although it's not scary, but the fun factor makes up for it. I haven't seen the original, but I'm sure it's better than it. The middle part drags a… More
Tobe Hooper's 2003 version of the Toolbox Murders is a fun little movie. It's a bloody good time to watch, although it's not scary, but the fun factor makes up for it. I haven't seen the original, but I'm sure it's better than it. The middle part drags a little bit, but once the main character stumbles apon the "hidden" portion of her apartment building, the fun and action begins! Props to Tobe Hooper for a great and well done opening sequence. Most films that have somebody killed in the beginning have the next scene take place somewhere else or on the next day, the scene after it takes place the second after it!
Lady D

I'm afraid I found this film pretty rubbish, certainly no chance of me watching it again
Steve B

Tobe, what's going on, man? You're better than this...
Justin W

I was actually mildly surprised and amused. Sure it has its moments of less then perfect acting and of course lines of cheesy dialogue, telling not showing, and unnecessary shots that just put it a tad over the top, but it was pretty well executed for being a low budget thriller.… More
I was actually mildly surprised and amused. Sure it has its moments of less then perfect acting and of course lines of cheesy dialogue, telling not showing, and unnecessary shots that just put it a tad over the top, but it was pretty well executed for being a low budget thriller. Everything worked well up until the last fifteen minutes where you could tell the writers were forced to quickly put together an ending to tighten up the time limit, this of course put in a lot of dumb dialogue and throwing in loose ends of the plot just to make it come full circle. Better then some of the other films in its genre.
Nicky M

Was actually ok. Not great, but not bad.
Laurence C

Pretty gory, but just tame on every other level. Angela Bettis saves this movie from total obscurity.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

Angela Bettis
as Nell Barrows
Brent Roam
as Steven Barrows
Juliet Landau
as Julia Cunningham

Greg Travis
as Byron McLieb
Adam Gierasch
as Ned Lundy
Marco Rodriguez
as Luis Saucedo

See full cast

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