Thanksgiving (2023)
Rating – 4/4
*SPOILERS*
Honestly, I don’t know many Thanksgiving movies, except Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a classic John Hughes comedy about friendship and misfortune during one of the busiest travel times of the year. There’s also Thankskilling, and though I’ve never seen it, the name says it all! But there needs to be more! A holiday of turkey, stuffing, and the founding of America is a perfect setting for a movie.
And I say that Thanksgiving is one of the perfect Thanksgiving movies for horror fans, as well as one of the best films of the year.
A year after a deadly Black Friday riot at a store that killed three, mysterious and bloody deaths start occurring in the town of Plymouth by a mysterious figure dressed as a pilgrim, inviting people for a Thanksgiving they’ll never forget. And on the guest kill list are Jessica (Nell Verlaque) and her friends, who were unfortunately at the center of the riot and whom the killer blames.
Who could it be?
Could it be Jessica or one of her friends?
Could it be Sheriff Newlon (Patrick Dempsey)?
Could it be Ryan (Milo Manheim) or Bobby (Jalen Thomas Brooks), two boys competing for Jessica’s affections?
Or could it just be someone who simply hates Thanksgiving?
It’s bloody carnage and hilarious black comedy deaths that create a movie of mystery and combines Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Scream into one B-movie throwback. And of course it has to be! It’s based off the fake trailer from Grindhouse and it promised a bloody, pulpy mess. And it delivered!
Being a member of the “Splat Pack” and directed by Eli Roth, I was not disappointed in the gore. Yes, it’s disgusting and disturbing, but it becomes hilarious because of just how creative and over-the-top the kills become and adds to the entertainment value. Hey, it’s a horror movie, so there needs to be blood and guts, right?
A woman gets chopped in half by a dumpster with her entrails sticking out? Bloody and hilarious.
The killer murders a man but stays behind to feed the victim’s cat? How sweet!
Another woman gets cooked alive with a pop-up timer in her? What a terrible way to die, but at least she’s cooked to perfection!
I will say, my favorite part might be the opening Black Friday riot, being everything one has seen on the news. People getting trampled and fighting over various items are just part of the insanity. And what object were people fighting over in this movie? Waffle irons! Not TVs, not computers, but their breakfast accessories! Well, it is the most important meal of the day! The standout moment was when a rioter accidentally gets his throat slit by glass and still fights for his waffle iron and dies holding it like a baby, almost as if he’s carrying it to his grave.
The opening set the tone: blood, guts, and black comedy, topped off by the rioters' ridiculous Massachusetts accents.
But besides gore, there was actual tension and not just an excuse to see people get chopped up. I liked the mystery of the movie, as well as the plot. Yes, it’s a B-movie at heart, but it also showed it was more than just a gorefest. Like Jessica, you’re trying to find out who the killer is and are looking for any hints or clues. The movie also doesn’t rely on jump scares and takes the time to properly build tension, like horror should.
Now it’s time to say what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful that this movie turned out as well as it did. It’s a brilliant homage to old grindhouse cinema, and I laughed and shuddered at the same time. The acting and production values are fine, and it’s an engaging story of mystery, but is also self-aware of what it is. And it’s about time Thanksgiving got the love it deserves and the horror audience will love this one. For warmth, watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. For scares, watch Thanksgiving.
It’s a surefire Thanksgiving classic that is stuffed with blood, guts, and a good time!
