Every Halloween, many horror fans watch Halloween. Every Christmas, some horror fans watch Black Christmas. However, Thanksgiving-themed horror is a rarity. Fortunately, Thanksgiving carves a unique niche in the horror genre by serving up a blood-soaked feast with nods to classic horror tropes. Director Eli Roth ingeniously blends nods to Halloween and Scream while ushering in the novelty of a Thanksgiving-themed horror—marking its territory as a fresh, gory addition to the holiday horror canon.
The film starts with an audacious opening sequence, which unleashes bloodshed without the clichéd masked killer, cleverly subverting expectations from the get-go. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve while going in the opposite direction a few times. The first act can be a bit poorly written at times, as the film tries to develop your typical group of teenagers and a few adults. Every character needs to be in place to be a victim or a suspect, much like every slasher. Drawing inspiration from John Carpenter’s mastery, the film goes on to use suspense and a pulse-pounding score to great effect, setting the stage for a rollercoaster of terror.
Roth’s direction guides this gruesome tale, skillfully balancing the fine line between horror and dark humor. There are some horror movies that use gore for shock value and others that revel in it in a mean-spirited way. The most recent cinematic gorefest was Saw X, which very much felt like the latter. However, Roth’s over-the-top violence in this movie never feels like it’s meant to be anything besides fun. It’s an exceedingly unpretentious movie that knows what it is and features all the blood and guts you would expect from a Roth film. The violence is very silly and absurd in a way that allows you to enjoy watching it rather than make you feel like you’re going through a painful endurance test.
Thanksgiving doesn’t shy away from embracing the absurdity of its premise, creating a horrific yet oddly entertaining experience. Amidst the chaos, the film cleverly lampoons the frenzy of Black Friday, adding a touch of satirical commentary while showcasing Gen Z characters at the forefront. Though a few characters might grate on your nerves, it works as a whole. Like many slashers, we have a group of teenagers as the main characters. They’re portrayed accurately, and the committed performances elevate both the narrative and the kill scenes, which are fun, gory, and bloody as hell.
Few slasher movies can hold a candle to some of the greatest films in the genre. We have Halloween and Scream, but we also have recent slashers that don’t leave a lasting impression despite how decent they are, such as There’s Someone Inside Your House and Totally Killer. Fortunately, Thanksgiving is better than your average slasher film and is honestly better than the recently rebooted Halloween and Scream movies. The film’s ability to inject brief visual comedy amidst its horror-laden plot showcases its versatility, even if it’s not a full-fledged comedy. Roth knows how to play around with your expectations and give you a wonderful experience as you eagerly wait in anticipation for the next kill.
When a director opts to depict hard-R violence in a film, they’re not going to win over everyone. This movie isn’t for the squeamish, but most slashers aren’t. Roth and co-writer Jeff Rendell take an interesting approach to the villain, John Carver. John is your typical masked villain, but he also revels in the violence he creates. He does not just stab his victims; he creates a uniquely horrifying experience for them, creating elaborate deaths that are genuinely inventive. It can be brutal to watch, but it’s hard not to enjoy watching this new killer do his thing.
It’s incredible how this movie started out as a fake trailer for the 2007 film Grindhouse. It took years for Roth to figure out how to create a film that would live up to the trailer. There are a few kills from that trailer that are recreated to perfection in this movie. It’s a wonder that Thanksgiving exists, and it’s the type of movie that could finally become a yearly tradition every Turkey Day. There are dark elements to this film that are truly traumatizing, and that is a genuinely wonderful feat.
There are admittedly a few issues here and there. The main character is not as iconic as Laurie Strode or Sidney Prescott, and she feels unremarkable in the grand scheme of things. Although her performance is not bad, it’s not particularly memorable. There is also one logical leap in the final act surrounding the geography of the characters that does not make too much sense once the curtain gets pulled back. A few moments are not written or directed as well as they could be, but overall, Thanksgiving serves up a festive, gore-stuffed treat for horror aficionados. What do you expect from a movie that features the 2023 Sexiest Man Alive and TikTok star Addison Rae?
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Thanksgiving review.
