The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is not directly based on a true story, but it is heavily inspired by real-life serial killer Ed Gein. Ed Gein, also known as the "Butcher of Plainfield," was infamous for robbing graves and murdering women. He collected body parts from corpses and made items such as masks from human skin, which directly influenced the character Leatherface's mask in the film. Gein's disturbing crimes and macabre behavior served as a major inspiration for the movie's creators, though the specific plot and characters in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are fictional. The film's depiction of a cannibalistic family and the gruesome atmosphere were inspired by the fear evoked by true events related to Gein and other notorious killers. Additionally, the film was partly crafted to reflect some of the cultural anxieties of the 1970s but remains a work of fiction loosely rooted in elements of real-life horror stories.