Written and directed by Eli Roth, co-written by Jeff Rendell, after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday. Starring: Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey and Gina Gershon.
A holiday themed horror is a gift for any fan of the genre because it gives filmmakers an excuse to truly have fun with it, whether that be campy, bloody, comedy, absolutely ridiculous gore or all of the above. Thanksgiving lands on the bloodier, gorier side with plenty of moments that will make your weaker stomached viewers watch it through their fingers. It’s akin to a mix of Slumber Party Massacre and Scream, a classic high school set slasher but with slightly more graphic and upping the self-involved level to befit the modern generation.
One of the things that’s almost always true with horror films is that you don’t have to like the characters, and in this case that’s a huge benefit because it means everyone’s on the chopping block. It doesn’t give you a big attachment to any of them, letting you just sit and wait to enjoy whoever finds themselves at the end of whichever random instrument of death the killer picks up next. The story itself isn’t hugely strong, and there are plenty of clues to figure out who the masked pilgrim is, but it’s paced out well and gets creative enough with its kills to keep things plenty entertaining.
Considering the characters aren’t particularly likable, it follows that the performances are nothing much to shout about. No-one really takes the limelight, but they do all fit the mould, they give the story exactly what it needs to play out in a satisfying fashion. They provide the playing ground for the direction and special effects to bring everything together, to add the blood and guts which are ultimately the key to Thanksgiving’s success.
Thanksgiving creates a holiday themed slasher for viewers to enjoy for years to come. It’s delightfully messy and maybe even goes a touch too far with its sadistic side but that’s no surprise from Eli Roth. It’s a good time drenched in blood, it’s got great pacing and holds your attention well by keeping the kill count high and regular. It may not be perfect or exceptional, but it takes the classic slasher rules and has fun with them which is pretty much all it needed to do to make a satisfying film.
FilmCarnage.com 