REVIEW: Thanksgiving (2023)
Thank God we don't celebrate this event in Australia!
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If there is one modern American movie director you’d expect could make a decent horror film, it would be Eli Roth, right? The guy behind the awesome Hostel movies, as well as the entertaining Cabin Fever, I would trust him to make something fun and enjoyable.
And you know what, my trust was in good hands. This movie is a riot!
It’s cool to hate on movies. It’s also really easy to do it. I did it recently with Creepypasta, but that really was a terrible film. But there is something quite fun about Thanksgiving that should keep you enthralled for the run time.
Maybe it’s the smattering of black humour or the entertainingly gory kills? Maybe its the classic “who is it” stalker killer character or the fact that this movie feels straight out of the 90s with just a few modern twists?
Whatever it is, this movie reminds me of all those 80s and 90s horror flicks I loved when I was a teen, because it’s just a pure horror film with no added bullshit.
PLOT
Set on Thanksgiving, or the eve before Black Friday (I don’t know the difference, we don’t do these events here in Australia), a deadly riot breaks out in large store when bargain hunters literally kill each other to nab a free waffle iron.
One year later and the town has almost recovered from the tragedy, but a masked killer taking the shape of John Carver, is stalking and killing the people responsible for that deadly evening.
ABOUT THE FILM
A pure, simple, good old fashioned easy to follow plot. What more could you possibly want from a horror movie?
Kills? Well, you get plenty of them. And they are gory and oh-so-wildly entertaining. From a lady being cooked alive in a commercial grade oven to a cheerleader being stabbed underneath a trampoline, there is a lot of creativity here.
And it all appears to be practical effects. No terrible CGI wounds or digital blood splatter. Well at least none that I could see.
On top of the gore, Roth has added a wicked sense of humour to the film. They are small, fleeting moments but they give the movie a sense of personality and charm that reminds you of your favourite 90’s slasher flick.
The who-is-it-in-the-mask element might be a bit too obvious for the attentive viewer to work out, and the series of red herrings gives off a very familiar feel. Is it the ex-manager, the ex-boyfriend, the new boyfriend, the new sheriff or the old sheriff? You might not know until the end, but you’ll have your suspicions along the way.
Shout outs to the cast too. Patrick Dempsey as the sheriff is great, Gina Gershon’s cameo is far too short and Rick Hoffman - who I instantly recognized from Roth’s Hostel - is great as the sleazy store owner.
What are my overall thoughts?
I really liked this. I thought this was a lot of fun. I laughed at the kills, I squirmed with the kills but more importantly, I enjoyed the kills.
And I hope you give this movie a shot. Because there is value to be had here.
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Genre Horror Slasher
Director Eli Roth
Starring Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Rick Hoffman
Original Title Thanksgiving
Country of Origin USA
Release Date 17 November 2023
thanksgiving slasher horror movie review USA 2023 eli roth