After being a fake trailer 16 years ago for “Grindhouse”, Eli Roth has finally brought Thanksgiving to life. The Thanksgiving themed horror slasher ends up though being one of the years best horror films and something that will easily become a yearly rewatch for the holiday.
Following a tragic shopping experience at RightMart, which marks possibly the best opening to a film all year, we fast forward to a year later. With comments made about how the store handled the night, protests happening, and John Carvers axe missing from his house, emotions and tempers are running hot in the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Soon though someone in a John Carver mask and outfit (which is a fantastic horror look) soon starts targeting people who were in the mist of the store incident.
Following Jessica (whose father owns RightMart) and her friends who were involved with the stores incident as they team up with the local sheriff to find out why they are being targeted. The movie plays itself super serious throughout. Though the opening scene is laughable at how extreme it is and the premise is funny, the film plays it straight which in turn makes it funnier even.
We are given tons of great kills here though. Some are fast and out of nowhere while others are drawn out, each though mostly gory and bloody. Carver gets his kills in usually involving something Thanksgiving related. The film also drives towards more of a Scream “who is the killer” type movie with the end result being a fun twist.
With a mostly unknown or smaller cast here as well outside of Dempsey we aren’t taken too much into caring about these teenagers or victims as they are picked off one by one.
Thanksgiving doesn’t break new ground. It does give Thanksgiving its own good horror movie though. Its a fun movie to watch, laugh, and see great kills as we turn out brains off and shows that when Eli Roth really wants to he can make a good horror movie still.
Score :
4 / 5
