I had a lot of fun with Thanksgiving, it is one of my surprise hits of the year! I remember seeing the fake trailer for this in Grindhouse all the way back in 2007. Like Machete and Hobo With A Shotgun, Thanksgiving is now an actual movie. I am a big fan of Eli Roth and this movie is about as Eli Roth as a movie can get it is violent, gory, gross, and hilarious.
How to Download Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving was released on November 17, 2023. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like masked-killer slashers check out Scream and Happy Death Day.
The Movie Review
One thing that I thought was neat about Thanksgiving is that in the UK where I live, this actually got a pretty decent theatrical run with multiple showings per day in my theatre. To be honest, when I saw the first trailer for this which felt like ages ago, I was not sure this would get much of a release outside of the USA.
A Bloody and Hilarious Slasher
Anyway, fun is probably the best word to describe Thanksgiving. It is a bloody and hilarious over-the-top slasher movie that is perfect if you want to have fun in the theatre. Those who want a bit more substance over style are probably not going to get a kick out of this.
Over-the-Top Black Friday Chaos
The start of this movie is probably the best start to a movie I have seen in 2023! It takes place during Black Friday and it is the most over-the-top and violent Black Friday you have ever seen. People get abused, people get trampled and people get killed, it is a freaking mess and our core group of characters is right in the middle of it.
Perfectly Setting the Tone
I was so into the movie during this scene, it is pretty much what you would expect a violent Black Friday experience made by Eli Roth would be. I had a big goofy grin on my face the whole time this scene was going down and it was the perfect way to start the movie and get us ready for the slasher action that was about to go down.
Unveiling a Killer Pilgrim
The movie then jumps forward a year. Our “survivors” of this Black Friday horror show all find themselves back in town and they start to be stalked by a killer who is dressed up as a pilgrim. Trying to figure out who the killer is and why he is targeting these people is the mystery aspect of the movie and it does give the movie a bit more depth. I will admit that my mind changed a few times when trying to figure out who this killer pilgrim was.
Gross-Out Fun in the Third Act
By the time the third act of the movie hits, we get full Eli Roth gross-out mode and it is a lot of fun. My wife felt that the movie started to lose a bit of its appeal towards the end and to be honest, I can see why some people may think that. While it is not as gross as Eli Roth’s Hostel, it is pretty damn close so if that kind of thing is not to your tastes, you know to probably give this a miss.
A Fun Holiday Movie
If we were not coming into the holiday season with lots of family activities my wife already has us booked for, I probably would have made the effort to see this again in the theatre as I had so much fun with it. Even though it is still in some theatres, since I saw this, I have been checking to see if its physical release date has been announced as this is a day one on 4K purchase for me.
