Thanksgiving

IMDB should add comedy to this movie's genres because it's much funnier than it is scary or thrilling. All the kills (with the exception of perhaps one) are strongly telegraphed by the camerawork and sound design. Who the killer would end up being was quite obvious to me about halfway through, but the mystery isn't really the point of this movie. You all know that the reason to see this movie is for the gory kills, and Eli Roth certainly delivers on that point even if the rest of the movie felt pretty textbook. Grab your family and friends to go see this for a fun dessert right after your Thanksgiving dinner!

I had fun with this one. Absolutely no expectations going in. If you like Eli Roth, I think this is him on a pretty damn good day.

To me, the biggest flaws were that it felt rushed. Like the scenes with the most fun gore were not polished and the crowd work in the beginning was overall just poor. Also, way too many characters (poorly cast as well). My god, I had no idea what any of them were named. So forgettable. The whole thing was relatively forgettable, if I'm being honest.

But who cares! Not every movie has to leave a deeper impact. Something can just be plain entertaining. And this was that. Leave your expectations at the door and enjoy Mr. Roth's special sauce.

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.

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.

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.