The Macy’s parade, turkey, football, and this year, a slasher movie.
In this new seasonal horror flick, inspired by a fake trailer made for the 2007 “Grindhouse” films, a killer is on the loose in a small Massachusetts town. The slayings get underway a year after a deadly riot broke out at the local super market during a massive Black Friday deal.
In the present, whoever is doing the killings appears to be going after those who were responsible for the riot. That puts a target on the back of Jessica (Nell Verlaque), a high schooler and daughter of the store owner, who was there that night with her friends.
“Thanksgiving” may take place in the present day, but it’s very reminiscent of the 70s and 80s. Director Eli Roth goes full throwback mode to that era’s slasher craze, with a movie that embraces and plays into a lot of the genre’s tropes.
The result is a horror romp with all of the fun and campiness you’d expect from the genre, with exaggerated characters and over the top kills. One issue, though, is that Roth didn’t go far enough with the throwback concept.
The trailer that inspired the movie had a very grainy look, giving off superb B-movie vibes in line with the rest of the “Grindhouse” films. “Thanksgiving” would have certainly benefitted from this type of look, as it would have added another layer to the old school slasher style.
With that said, Roth does nail the atmosphere in the film, with a gloomy fall aesthetic. When Thanksgiving takes place in the northern states, all of the leaves have usually fallen, cold weather is moving in and skies are gray. The film captures that setting, and adds in the pageantry of the holiday with Pilgrim costumes and Thanksgiving decorations for a proper vibe.
Roth and his team also deserve credit when it comes to the deaths. There’s plenty of blood spilled and gore taking place, with some moments getting pretty gnarly. Quite a few items become weapons for carnage in the flick, too, from a simple knife to a large axe. Even corn forks are used.
The filmmakers also relied on genre tropes for the characters, with standard personalities such as a standard jock and a final girl. The execution is pretty good, with some well-placed self-awareness in a few scenes, and general sincerity during others.
Nell Verlaque is especially worthy of praise as she does solid work in the lead role. This is her first major film appearance and she’s quite good on screen.
As for the storytelling, “Thanksgiving” has its pros and cons. The movie has a nice build up to each kill and keeps things moving at a quick pace. However, the film has a bit of an extended climactic series of events that pushes the movie’s runtime a little higher than necessary.
The picture is also mostly effective in keeping one guessing as to who the killer is. When the perpetrator is actually revealed, though, it doesn’t work particularly well, all things considered.
Even with some issues, though,” Thanksgiving” is one of the better straightforward slasher flicks in recent years. Because it delivers on the kills and atmosphere, it succeeds as a piece of horror entertainment. 3.5 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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