Look, it's entertaining, it's gross, and it keeps you guessing-IF you want to ignore the obvious. If you do, there are lots of potential killers and motives. If you're a real horror fan, you know Patrick Dempsey was in Scream 3....and also, you guys, it's Patrick freaking Dempsey alongside a bunch of no-name kids! What part do you think he's playing!? He was also super calm throughout the whole movie while investigating what would be one of the most gruesome public cases to hit any town anywhere. He's not only calm, but gentle, sweet, pretty even-keeled, i.e. Not so much like a top cop looking for a serial killer. Also, gotta love that last year's Scream 6 (or Scream 2, whatever they're calling the "starting over" installments) also featured 'the sheriff' as one of the killers. And, as In Screams 1-7, the killer/s always tell you, to your face, "Don't trust anyone, don't trust the love interest, dont trust me' and it's always (#sorrynotsorry for the pun) dead on.
415 Reviews
It wasn't bad but it wasn't good.
nickryan-4453519 November 2023
I was quite surprised yet happy to see a thanksgiving horror film getting such high praise. I went in with no expectations and only saw the trailer possibly once. Let me start by saying that this film has quite graphic kills and inventive kills at that. This film starts solid with an extremely dramatic opening and then follows the basic slasher whodunnit outline. I didn't find any of the characters interesting nor do I remember a single person's name so it was kinda hard to stay invested when I don't have a connection to anyone.
After the killer is revealed the movie then rushes to the end. Not sure if the director wanted to keep the run time short or if they just didn't know how to end the film but it literally sprints to the end. If you're looking for a cheesy horror movie and just watching for fun this is for you. I just need a little more substance.
After the killer is revealed the movie then rushes to the end. Not sure if the director wanted to keep the run time short or if they just didn't know how to end the film but it literally sprints to the end. If you're looking for a cheesy horror movie and just watching for fun this is for you. I just need a little more substance.
There's something wrong about this one
kuner-5902923 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Thanksgiving starts with a fantastic opening scene. The Black Friday shopping mayhem scene is straight out of South Park, with crazed shoppers rampling people to death in gruesome ways over a free waffle maker. That scene is perfectly acted, with all performers giving a spot on impression of awful greedy trash people. That scene has something to say.
The rest of the film starts off as your average "I know what you did last summer" style revenge slasher with an unknown killer in a pilgrom costume stalking and killing the people responsible for the opening scene Black Friday tragedy.
Towards the third act, the movie further devolves into needless, evil spirited torture porn.
A central problem is the main characters, who are a chore to endure. All except the main girl (who seemingly has just one facial expression) and the Russian girl are awful. Especially the males. For a while I wondered if the director / writer were on a dare or pulling a prank by having every single line have the F-word in it. But then a few lines without it showed up. A pity, that would have been more clever than what we got. We are left with intensely unlikeable protagonists, waiting for them to be picked off one by one.
The film barely gives us any hints to who the killer is, what in particular he's motivated by, and in the end pulls a random character out of the hat. The only reason I knew it wasn't one of the teens was that Gina Gershon had a brief appearance and death scene in the opening, so I knew the killer had to be connected to her. Otherwise why cast a name actor in a no name role?
When the reveal does happen, it's ridiculously stupid, and most of all, the needless cruelty and sadism of the killer goes way beyond revenge. In particular one scene involving the centerpiece of the revenge is sickening, case in point being it's something that happened during the October 7th Hamas attack. It's so messed up that it ruins the tone of what should be a fun, scary holiday slasher / horror film. Eli Roth really needs to get his demons under control. Pushing the boundaries is one thing, but missing the tone of your movie is another.
Oddly enough, the gore effects are quite bad. For a movie that goes so deep into gore, I was surprised it didn't look better.
Speaking of things that look bad: the Killer's mask. This is a big one, since a slasher film lives and dies by its killer. The killer here looks boring. Like a low budget V for Vendetta, he's neither scary nor iconic. They must have realized the former, because midway during the movie, he burns his mask for no reason other than he knows he's in a movie and wants to look scarier.
The film moves at a brisk pace, and thankfully the obligatory scenes of characters nervously tiptoeing through corridors with the Killer lying in wait aren't 5 minutes long like in older 80s and 90s Slashers where the narrative ground to a total halt before every kill scene. They throw in a few chase scenes to mix things up as well.
Here's something I'm thankful for: Thanksgiving didn't bore me. It annoyed me with it's nasty characters, it repulsed me with the it's mean spiritedness, bit it didn't bore me.
Had they kept the tone and social commentary from the opening scene, they could have had a real classic here. As it stands, this is a missed opportunity let down by a weak script and a director who's pathological need to shock undermines his talent.
The rest of the film starts off as your average "I know what you did last summer" style revenge slasher with an unknown killer in a pilgrom costume stalking and killing the people responsible for the opening scene Black Friday tragedy.
Towards the third act, the movie further devolves into needless, evil spirited torture porn.
A central problem is the main characters, who are a chore to endure. All except the main girl (who seemingly has just one facial expression) and the Russian girl are awful. Especially the males. For a while I wondered if the director / writer were on a dare or pulling a prank by having every single line have the F-word in it. But then a few lines without it showed up. A pity, that would have been more clever than what we got. We are left with intensely unlikeable protagonists, waiting for them to be picked off one by one.
The film barely gives us any hints to who the killer is, what in particular he's motivated by, and in the end pulls a random character out of the hat. The only reason I knew it wasn't one of the teens was that Gina Gershon had a brief appearance and death scene in the opening, so I knew the killer had to be connected to her. Otherwise why cast a name actor in a no name role?
When the reveal does happen, it's ridiculously stupid, and most of all, the needless cruelty and sadism of the killer goes way beyond revenge. In particular one scene involving the centerpiece of the revenge is sickening, case in point being it's something that happened during the October 7th Hamas attack. It's so messed up that it ruins the tone of what should be a fun, scary holiday slasher / horror film. Eli Roth really needs to get his demons under control. Pushing the boundaries is one thing, but missing the tone of your movie is another.
Oddly enough, the gore effects are quite bad. For a movie that goes so deep into gore, I was surprised it didn't look better.
Speaking of things that look bad: the Killer's mask. This is a big one, since a slasher film lives and dies by its killer. The killer here looks boring. Like a low budget V for Vendetta, he's neither scary nor iconic. They must have realized the former, because midway during the movie, he burns his mask for no reason other than he knows he's in a movie and wants to look scarier.
The film moves at a brisk pace, and thankfully the obligatory scenes of characters nervously tiptoeing through corridors with the Killer lying in wait aren't 5 minutes long like in older 80s and 90s Slashers where the narrative ground to a total halt before every kill scene. They throw in a few chase scenes to mix things up as well.
Here's something I'm thankful for: Thanksgiving didn't bore me. It annoyed me with it's nasty characters, it repulsed me with the it's mean spiritedness, bit it didn't bore me.
Had they kept the tone and social commentary from the opening scene, they could have had a real classic here. As it stands, this is a missed opportunity let down by a weak script and a director who's pathological need to shock undermines his talent.
Super Fun
tkdlifemagazine19 November 2023
There were so many opportunities for this movie to go wrong. There is nothing better than a painfully stupid concept well executed to the point that it is actually good. Thanksgiving is the only Thanksgiving slasher movie I can think of. It is really enjoyable and, somewhat, grisly in parts. Eli Roth has a a unique and twisted mind. Roth does a great job in all of his movies tempering his grotesque imagery and thematic content with humor. This is no exception. The cast is good and strong- had it been a no name Director the film would not have attracted so many named stars. Patrick Dempsey is very good. I liked it.
A Predictable, Non-Predictable Thriller for Horror Fans
rwcqjtpwz28 November 2023
For a horror movie fan like me, I predicted this more than I predicted Scream VI. Quite obvious who it was when the car scene happened. Excepted.
The Black Friday scene was my favorite scene. There was a lot of gore, and the scene maybe even made me giggle a time or two. It was constructed with care, and the deaths were on point, I also enjoyed the killers motive. It made sense and it was a smart point.
I also enjoyed the cat scene. It gives some kind of feeling for the killer that makes you feel sad for him. If you don't understand what I mean, then ignore this.
Overall I would give this a 6.8 out of ten.
The Black Friday scene was my favorite scene. There was a lot of gore, and the scene maybe even made me giggle a time or two. It was constructed with care, and the deaths were on point, I also enjoyed the killers motive. It made sense and it was a smart point.
I also enjoyed the cat scene. It gives some kind of feeling for the killer that makes you feel sad for him. If you don't understand what I mean, then ignore this.
Overall I would give this a 6.8 out of ten.
Not terrible actually
pvrb-5755519 November 2023
Going into this movie with such low expectations had me blown away. I thought it was gonna be terrible, but it was actually one of the best slasher movies that have come out in recent years. The plot is simple, characters are simple, and the kills are amazing. At the beginning of this movie almost none of the characters are likeable. And to be honest, they don't get likeable until maybe halfway through the film. The acting isn't great either, Patrick Dempsey(the sheriff) was easily the best of the whole cast. There's also so really corny lines and cheesy moments but it's a slasher and they always come with that. The highlight of this entire movie is the way characters are killed off because it's straight up brutal. The movie doesn't shy away from showing blood and guts, and from what we could see only maybe two of the deaths are CGI, the rest looked like practical effects, and there's so much death. From the start of the movie you can just tell it's gonna be a wild ride. The ending was kind of weird and not at all what you expect, I guess kind of setting up a sequel, not really sure actually. But definitely a fun movie to enjoy if you have nothing better to watch.
I'm at a loss
Gith132 December 2023
I'm so confused about how this has a decent rating. This movie was painfully boring and predictable. The acting was absolutely atrocious. The story was as bland as it comes. I love cheesy horror movies, but this doesn't even count as one. I can't tell you how many times I have seen all of the 80s slasher flicks. I will binge watch them over and over. But I will never watch this one again. It's just so bad. I can't even laugh at it. Honestly, I'm insulted that anyone would put something out that is so bad. And that people would review it so well. I only went to see this movie based off of the reviews. It seems like people have lost touch with what makes a good movie.
For a modern-day slasher, it doesn't get much more enjoyable than this
kevin_robbins16 November 2023
I attended an advance screening of Thanksgiving (2023) this evening. The plot revolves around the infamous town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, grappling with a tragic Black Friday massacre. As the locals gear up to celebrate Thanksgiving a year later, someone decides to deliver festive justice to those responsible.
Directed by Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), the film stars Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy), Addison Rae (He's All That), Gina Gershon (Killer Joe), Nell Verlaque (The Marijuana Conspiracy), and Rick Hoffman (Ballers).
The movie is truly remarkable. I found myself smiling from the opening scene to the closing credits. It captures a 90s slasher vibe with a plethora of characters who could be the killer, a high school class facing peril, and a relatable motive for the antagonist. The kill scenes are all top-notch, earning a solid 10/10, with a perfect blend of creativity, gore, blood splatter, and more gore. The Black Friday and parade sequences are standout moments, eliciting cheers from tonight's audience. Noteworthy are the elite decapitation scenes and a sequence reminiscent of Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. For a modern-day slasher, it doesn't get much more enjoyable than this. I'd give this an 8/10 and highly recommend it.
Directed by Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), the film stars Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy), Addison Rae (He's All That), Gina Gershon (Killer Joe), Nell Verlaque (The Marijuana Conspiracy), and Rick Hoffman (Ballers).
The movie is truly remarkable. I found myself smiling from the opening scene to the closing credits. It captures a 90s slasher vibe with a plethora of characters who could be the killer, a high school class facing peril, and a relatable motive for the antagonist. The kill scenes are all top-notch, earning a solid 10/10, with a perfect blend of creativity, gore, blood splatter, and more gore. The Black Friday and parade sequences are standout moments, eliciting cheers from tonight's audience. Noteworthy are the elite decapitation scenes and a sequence reminiscent of Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight. For a modern-day slasher, it doesn't get much more enjoyable than this. I'd give this an 8/10 and highly recommend it.
A decent stalker, slasher
tankboy-4685118 November 2023
I love horror movies, specifically my favorites are stalker/killer/slasher types.
I wasn't sure how Eli Roth would handle this type of movie because he's really more known for his "gore" rather than "run from the killer" style of films. Although I enjoy his dialogue in his former scripts and have good things to say about the hostel series, I was still a little skeptical.
My final verdict is a good one. I liked it. I thought the story was good, it was entertaining, and the killer scenes were pretty well done. I like how he inserted just enough humor to make me laugh, but didn't take it over the top. The jokes were subtle and just right.
The kills were pretty good too... knowing Eli Roth's past resume, I was afraid that he would take the gore too far... but thankfully he didn't.
A pretty satisfying horror holiday outing... I wouldn't mind a sequel now either.
I wasn't sure how Eli Roth would handle this type of movie because he's really more known for his "gore" rather than "run from the killer" style of films. Although I enjoy his dialogue in his former scripts and have good things to say about the hostel series, I was still a little skeptical.
My final verdict is a good one. I liked it. I thought the story was good, it was entertaining, and the killer scenes were pretty well done. I like how he inserted just enough humor to make me laugh, but didn't take it over the top. The jokes were subtle and just right.
The kills were pretty good too... knowing Eli Roth's past resume, I was afraid that he would take the gore too far... but thankfully he didn't.
A pretty satisfying horror holiday outing... I wouldn't mind a sequel now either.
No Way He Could Of Been The Killer
johnnyutah-5872126 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
You must be in either middle school or high school to give this movie a seven or higher. The first 20 minutes is by far the most annoying, obnoxious scene I've seen in a while. The characters or just absolutely cringe. After that, it starts getting OK, but The fact that the sheriff ended up being the killer was just stupid. If you're trying to have a surprise twist at the end, at least make sure that character was able to be the killer. To point out the more erroneously one is the very end when he has everybody trapped at the house, cooking the stepmom and having everybody tied up and the main character escapes, then she jumps the fence and runs to the factory leaving the killer behind, she sees the sheriff laying on the ground, he just got knocked out from her ex-boyfriend Tommy or whoever w a tire iron. It would actually be impossible for him to be the killer if he was at the house for the past hour but now he
was fighting Tommy and got knocked out with the turn iron. Just so stupid. And that's not the only time he is two places at once.
Had a lot of fun with it!
davonkeys17 November 2023
Honestly this movie is one of those either you love it or you hate it type of movies. It's a modern day slasher that's nostalgic, campy, gory, and fast-paced. If you're a fan of gore and over the top death scenes then you'll likely enjoy this movie. I'm a big fan of the Chucky movies (especially the later ones) as well as the more recent series and that's kind of the vibe this movie gives off when it comes to tone for me. I laughed a lot while watching this movie and cringed at just about all of the deaths. It's also very reminiscent of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream. If you enjoy any of the movies I've mentioned and you need something to do and you're not a horror snob, you'll likely have fun with this one! :)
Thanksgiving I found very uneven.
MJB7848 November 2023
The story was interesting with a logical villain, but it wants to have it both ways, being either a scary slasher movie and a disgusting, forced horror movie. Some of the dialog was funny, but the violence was frustrating. I couldn't tell if some of the deaths were intended to scare me or just gross me out. It seems Eli Roth intended horror, laughs and senseless deaths. I'm split on the movie because there were entertaining scenes and forced scenes and the characters were so laid back as victims. They didn't seem as scared as they should. Didn't see any of his movies before; aside from the fake Grindhouse trailer of Thanksgiving.
Mind numbingly STUPID
natashafitzsimons28 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Look, I love slashers. Despite their low numbers they are my favorite subgenre of horror. I don't ask for much, a coherent story and a surprising villain. However - I draw the line at being insulted. I don't even know how this film got the funding - it is just an insult to audiences. The gore, great, and sure there are some laughs. However the story is beyond stupid, and fine I could forget that if the film was fun like "Freaky". However, the cast are awful, 30 year olds mascarading as high schoolers? Ok, I'll get over it. A killer who simply can't be the killer cause you just showed them in TWO places at once? I draw the line. It's insulting, and it made me so mad. All it took was a small rewrite to make something timeless. Instead an absolutely horrible film. So disappointing. More disappointing is people with no brain cells giving it 8 and 9 out of 10.
Carver by Name...
Xstal22 December 2023
What's not to like and love about Black Friday, a time when you can let your cares go astray, a time to binge on want and waste, as if your soul has been debased, pushing, punching, thrusting, shoving is great play. That is until a year has passed and in walks John, then incidents take place and folk are gone, mutilation may come first, he has a terrible blood thirst, if this was a competition, he's champion. Although it's strange as people die town life goes on, he could slay a dozen more no sense of wrong, little panic on the streets, there seems to be a subtle peace, because the Plymouth folk, just won't be put upon.
Bad but good
ea_morrison24 February 2024
I'm trying to decide if this was satire or an actual horror.
The acting was pretty bad and the lines were very cheesy but for some reason I couldn't stop watching it. It was like a car wreck , Lol - it's across between. "I know what you did last summer "and "urban legends."
The Boston accents were glitchy and the acting was absolutely terrible.
. It was nice to see a small Ontario towns in this film. I had to close my eyes a few times because of the Gore. I don't think I'll be having turkey for a while. Nice to see Patrick Dempsey in something albeit cheesey . If you want cheese, bad acting and gore - this is for you
.
The acting was pretty bad and the lines were very cheesy but for some reason I couldn't stop watching it. It was like a car wreck , Lol - it's across between. "I know what you did last summer "and "urban legends."
The Boston accents were glitchy and the acting was absolutely terrible.
. It was nice to see a small Ontario towns in this film. I had to close my eyes a few times because of the Gore. I don't think I'll be having turkey for a while. Nice to see Patrick Dempsey in something albeit cheesey . If you want cheese, bad acting and gore - this is for you
.
so many A-holes
SnoopyStyle20 December 2023
It's Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts. More importantly, it's Black Friday in RightMart. A large crowd has gathered and waiting for the opening. Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) is the Sheriff. Thomas Wright (Rick Hoffman) is the greedy store owner. His daughter Jessica Wright and her friends are allowed into the store before the opening. It starts a riot and people die in the ensuing chaos. It's a year later and nobody has been brought to justice. Thomas is doing another sale despite a feared repeat of the incident. A masked serial killer is on the loose.
This is an Eli Roth horror. There are so many A-hole characters. Then I remember that it's an Eli Roth horror. Of course, it's filled with A-hole characters. Here's the thing. This is actually not that bad despite some ridiculous ideas. First, Black Friday is no longer this anymore with all the internet shopping. I don't care about these characters. Their deaths mean very little to me. They are cannon fodder for the meat grinder. I do really like the oven and the dinner although her hair should be burnt off. As for the murder mystery, it's fine. I was hoping for someone else, but the reveal is not as surprising as Eli probably wants. There is plenty of gore and it's a good Eli Roth horror.
This is an Eli Roth horror. There are so many A-hole characters. Then I remember that it's an Eli Roth horror. Of course, it's filled with A-hole characters. Here's the thing. This is actually not that bad despite some ridiculous ideas. First, Black Friday is no longer this anymore with all the internet shopping. I don't care about these characters. Their deaths mean very little to me. They are cannon fodder for the meat grinder. I do really like the oven and the dinner although her hair should be burnt off. As for the murder mystery, it's fine. I was hoping for someone else, but the reveal is not as surprising as Eli probably wants. There is plenty of gore and it's a good Eli Roth horror.
Not sure what people are watching
FeastMode20 December 2023
I'm a little stunned by the positivity of the reviews I've seen. Thanksgiving has some good surrounded by mostly bad. I'll start with the few positives. It's mostly well-made from a technical perspective. I loved the scenes of carnage and chaos. And all of the kills made my jaw drop. It doesn't hold back.
Everything outside of the kill scenes is bad. I wish they leaned more into the dark fun slasher vibes. Instead they try to be serious, which magnifies how bad, bland and dumb the rest of the movie is. And while the mystery is intriguing and unpredictable, the reveal isn't even a tiny bit satisfying.
This will probably be more enjoyable if you haven't seen many movies. (1 viewing, 12/19/2023)
Everything outside of the kill scenes is bad. I wish they leaned more into the dark fun slasher vibes. Instead they try to be serious, which magnifies how bad, bland and dumb the rest of the movie is. And while the mystery is intriguing and unpredictable, the reveal isn't even a tiny bit satisfying.
This will probably be more enjoyable if you haven't seen many movies. (1 viewing, 12/19/2023)
I never envisioned this film being so good
jtindahouse16 November 2023
We actually got it. It took a long time but we finally got a 'Thanksgiving' movie based on the infamous 'Grindhouse' trailer from 2007. I always liked to imagine what this film would actually look like. In all of the ways I envisioned it though, I never foresaw it being as coherent and well put together as this film ultimately was. This movie was a blast.
The first thing to note is that the film is absolutely brutal. They haven't toned things down from the original trailer at all. They have committed to the concept and the film is that much better off for it. Like most Eli Roth films it feels like nothing is off limits.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the film was done in a whodunit style. The mystery, and not knowing what characters could and could not be trusted, added another layer to the film and worked really well.
When we first meet the characters, and in particular the teenage characters, I was a little worried they were going to be extremely unlikable, as is usually the case in these types of films. As the film went on though most, if not all, of them grew on me. And by the end of the film I actually cared about their fate.
'Thanksgiving' is going to go down as one of my most pleasant surprises of 2023 for me. It was everything I wanted and more. 9/10.
The first thing to note is that the film is absolutely brutal. They haven't toned things down from the original trailer at all. They have committed to the concept and the film is that much better off for it. Like most Eli Roth films it feels like nothing is off limits.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the film was done in a whodunit style. The mystery, and not knowing what characters could and could not be trusted, added another layer to the film and worked really well.
When we first meet the characters, and in particular the teenage characters, I was a little worried they were going to be extremely unlikable, as is usually the case in these types of films. As the film went on though most, if not all, of them grew on me. And by the end of the film I actually cared about their fate.
'Thanksgiving' is going to go down as one of my most pleasant surprises of 2023 for me. It was everything I wanted and more. 9/10.
One of the surprises of the year.
olcare21 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Overall, the movie was fun, bloody, and surprising. It exceeded my expectations, which genuinely pleased me.
Highlighting its strengths, the makeup was excellent, the bloody scenes looked incredibly realistic, and, importantly, about 90% of it didn't feel forced-a significant positive for me. The brutality and blood were well-dosed, and compared to other films of this type, this one took itself seriously, which is commendable.
One of my favorite aspects was the plot twist coming from a genuinely unexpected place and transitioning to the audience (meaning me) smoothly. It was well-executed and surprising. Additionally, the Sheriff's motivation was genuinely good, which mattered to me. The performances were also of high quality, surprising like the other elements.
Regardless of everything, the film's seriousness and its approach to resolving events were different. Unlike the terrible horror films that often end with a cheesy, cliché conclusion, this one didn't; it had a clear and open-ended conclusion, which was at least decent and successful.
Turning to the negative side, the film sometimes relied on simple things in its transitions and key points (when characters were fighting, for example), and our highly skilled killer sometimes behaved surprisingly absurdly, which I felt the cheesiness of at those moments. Of course, I didn't have excessively high expectations, but it was still noticeable.
In short, despite some easy last-minute decisions, it was an incredibly enjoyable film. It questioned how greedy people can be and highlighted their strangely absurd habits when looked at from the outside. Despite some cheesy moments, it left me with entertainment beyond my expectations and became a memorable film. Congratulations to Eli Roth and Jeff Rendell for a beautifully bloody evening entertainment.
Highlighting its strengths, the makeup was excellent, the bloody scenes looked incredibly realistic, and, importantly, about 90% of it didn't feel forced-a significant positive for me. The brutality and blood were well-dosed, and compared to other films of this type, this one took itself seriously, which is commendable.
One of my favorite aspects was the plot twist coming from a genuinely unexpected place and transitioning to the audience (meaning me) smoothly. It was well-executed and surprising. Additionally, the Sheriff's motivation was genuinely good, which mattered to me. The performances were also of high quality, surprising like the other elements.
Regardless of everything, the film's seriousness and its approach to resolving events were different. Unlike the terrible horror films that often end with a cheesy, cliché conclusion, this one didn't; it had a clear and open-ended conclusion, which was at least decent and successful.
Turning to the negative side, the film sometimes relied on simple things in its transitions and key points (when characters were fighting, for example), and our highly skilled killer sometimes behaved surprisingly absurdly, which I felt the cheesiness of at those moments. Of course, I didn't have excessively high expectations, but it was still noticeable.
In short, despite some easy last-minute decisions, it was an incredibly enjoyable film. It questioned how greedy people can be and highlighted their strangely absurd habits when looked at from the outside. Despite some cheesy moments, it left me with entertainment beyond my expectations and became a memorable film. Congratulations to Eli Roth and Jeff Rendell for a beautifully bloody evening entertainment.
Is there something i'm missing?
gracesophia-4741217 November 2023
Im so confused as to how there are so many positive reviews on here 😭 this movie was so bad it was laughable (and not in a good way). The acting sucked, the plot was boring, the scares weren't even scary, and the reveal of the killer was so lackluster. I couldn't tell if the movie was trying to be funny or be serious, but either way it just did not work. Also, Hollywood, please stop caring tik tok stars in movies. There are hundreds of talented people out in the world who are waiting for their big break in films, and you're giving movie roles to people who aren't even actors. *cough cough* Addison Rae *cough cough*
Slightly like Terrifier and Halloween Kills. Pretty good. And technically better than the 2011 'Hobo With a Shotgun' film.
Beyondtherain17 November 2023
The original trailer was very raw, this film was polished like Scream 6, and its the same production company, but it was still very fun! If you're an older person, just IGNORE the loud rap song that is played 5 minutes into the film...that is a popular rap song and it is for the Teenage crowd fan service...now back to my review! The killer's mask was pretty weak, but the kills were fun and sneaky! The opening was so damn good. I liked this film better than Saw X and Five Nights at freddys...My theater was moaning and laughing at the right parts. When someone got beheaded, the entire theater erupted with "OOOOOOhhhh" And that made me a bit uncomfy, lol...Also, if you like Hobo With A Shotgun, it's not as nasty or vile as that film, but it is technically better than The Hobo with a Shotgun film we got in 2011! Also, Thanksgiving 2023 is not exactly like the grindhouse trailer...But it is fresh and I'm just glad we finally got the full length film! So if you want a new slasher, you should definitely watch this, it had my poor mom jumping and frightened...Also, Some people started arguing and ruined the film for us. Lol they even started cussing...oh well I'll wait for it to go to streaming to refresh my memory. Overall as a Hollywood Cinematic Standard? Its a 6.5/10 ...as a Horror Slasher? A high 8.9/10 SCORE.
Thanksgiving
CinemaSerf24 November 2023
Though it's very formulaic, this film, it's still at the better end of recent gore-fests. We start off with the most unlikely of scenarios - a Thanksgiving sale at a supermarket that goes spectacularly and violently wrong. The population of the founding father's very own Plymouth in Massachusetts become frenetic and determined to do whatever it takes to get into this store and get their free waffle iron! Anyway, a group of kids manage to sneak in first and provoke the waiting crowd - that leads to a stampede with tragic results. Scoot on twelve months and the same store is proposing to have anther such sale, despite the fatalities last time round that led to no prosecutions thanks to some security camera "errors". Sheriff "Eric" (Patrick Dempsey) is concerned for public safety but that's just the start of his woes. When the rather odious and foul mouthed waitress "Lizzie" (Amanda Barker) is found - well half of her is found - stuck to the store's illuminated signage, he must find the culprit before there are even more revenge attacks by the masked pilgrim... Yes, we've seen this all before but here Eli Roth takes a cast that might have been graduates from Ben Platt's "Theater Camp" (2023) and turns them into prey for a menacing killer who certainly has some imagination when reeking his havoc on those who did him wrong. It takes a swipe at the commercial culture around this American holiday - rather well presented via Rick Hoffman's store-owning "Thomas", father or our lead "Jessica" (Nell Verlaque) and husband to the really rather shallow "Kathleen" (Karen Cliche). There's a bit of boyfriend rivalry that accidentally displays the versatility (?!) of Milo Manheim who quite successfully ditches his butter wouldn't melt image (anyone seen "Journey to Bethlehem"?) before a suitably far-fetched denouement that does take it's time, repeats itself a bit and concludes screaming sequel. There are some some funny moments, the cast largely gel well and though not exactly scary, there are a few effective jumps. I doubt that you'll recall it for long after, but I think this is actually quite good.
HOW?!
powerpuffg-6767829 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
As i was watching the movie, i was almost sure it was the sheriff, since that woman who died was flirting with him and was killed afterwards, i was pretty sure it was him all along, but changed my mind in the highschool scene when he was clearly outside of school, and the girl was chased by the killer inside it then he investigated and searched the school afterwards..
But in the end and i wouldn't say i was surprised but it turns out he was the killer?? How? She was running out of the woods with him behind her then suddenly he's Infront of her injured?, unless this killer has supernatural powers there's no way he could exist in 2 places at the same time, and also be the killer, it makes no fricking sense.
Also the acting was bad and so were the killings which made no sense,like why would a person's body be split into halves because of a garbage can?
And why would ppl kill each other over waffle irons, do u really love waffles that much?
And most importantly, why does this movie have such a high rating?, anyways y'all fooled me and wasted my precious time so y'all better keep distance from garbage cans cause I'm coming 😂
Also the acting was bad and so were the killings which made no sense,like why would a person's body be split into halves because of a garbage can?
And why would ppl kill each other over waffle irons, do u really love waffles that much?
And most importantly, why does this movie have such a high rating?, anyways y'all fooled me and wasted my precious time so y'all better keep distance from garbage cans cause I'm coming 😂
Dinner is served!
lee_eisenberg20 November 2023
Eli Roth's "Thanksgiving" is based on a mock trailer from 2007's "Grindhouse"*. As Roth loves to show some of the most grotesque things imaginable, this movie gives us the goods. It's got some of the most shocking kills that I've ever witnessed onscreen.
As it happens, I had just learned of John Carver a few days before seeing this, having watched the 1952 movie "Plymouth Adventure", about the Pilgrims' journey across the ocean (as you may have suspected, it was one of the most inaccurate movies ever). Imagine how shocked the Pilgrims - all of them religious fundamentalists - would've been to learn that one of their leaders would get used like this.
All in all, a truly fun movie. A nice counterweight to the overly wholesome things people do for the holiday. In other words, I'm thankful that this movie got made.
*Roth, a friend of Quentin Tarantino, filmed the mock trailer as a favor to him. Tarantino later cast Roth in "Inglourious Basterds" as the Bear Jew, who enjoys bashing in Nazis' heads.
As it happens, I had just learned of John Carver a few days before seeing this, having watched the 1952 movie "Plymouth Adventure", about the Pilgrims' journey across the ocean (as you may have suspected, it was one of the most inaccurate movies ever). Imagine how shocked the Pilgrims - all of them religious fundamentalists - would've been to learn that one of their leaders would get used like this.
All in all, a truly fun movie. A nice counterweight to the overly wholesome things people do for the holiday. In other words, I'm thankful that this movie got made.
*Roth, a friend of Quentin Tarantino, filmed the mock trailer as a favor to him. Tarantino later cast Roth in "Inglourious Basterds" as the Bear Jew, who enjoys bashing in Nazis' heads.
Nastier than the usual slasher
masonsaul21 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There's a few things that keep Thanksgiving from being a truly great slasher (run time & final moments) but everything here is still strong enough to be a really good one. Indebted to Scream and Halloween in a way it's proud to show off, it starts by showing the horrors of what black Friday brings out in people and then morphs into a steady stream of inventive kills.
The majority of the characters here fit into classic horror stereotypes and everyone does a good job of making them worthy cannon fodder. The exceptions being Patrick Dempsey's Sheriff who has a kindness steeped in tragedy and Nell Verlaque, who turns Jessica into one of the best final girls horror cinema has offered recently.
Even though Eli Roth's direction may lack the grindhouse style of the original idea, it still stays true to his sensibilities whilst breaking some new ground with plenty of sequences that have a good amount of tension before getting to their gory crescendo, which is always a little more unpredictable than expected.
The majority of the characters here fit into classic horror stereotypes and everyone does a good job of making them worthy cannon fodder. The exceptions being Patrick Dempsey's Sheriff who has a kindness steeped in tragedy and Nell Verlaque, who turns Jessica into one of the best final girls horror cinema has offered recently.
Even though Eli Roth's direction may lack the grindhouse style of the original idea, it still stays true to his sensibilities whilst breaking some new ground with plenty of sequences that have a good amount of tension before getting to their gory crescendo, which is always a little more unpredictable than expected.
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