Thanksgiving: A Hilarious and Gory Slasher with a Sinister Twist

!Thanksgiving

In the spirit of holiday horror, Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” serves up a deliciously twisted feast. This 2023 film takes the backdrop of a Black Friday sale—a chaotic frenzy of consumerism—and turns it into a blood-soaked spectacle.

Black Friday Chaos

The movie opens with a brilliantly timed sequence: a feverish mob storms the Right Mart department store on Thanksgiving night. The goal? To snag deals on everything from waffle irons to flat-screen TVs. But as the blood splatters and bodies drop, Roth satirizes the true cost of consumerism. Suddenly, the “black” in “Black Friday” takes on a whole new meaning.

The Killer’s Gruesome Trail

A year later, a masked killer—sporting the likeness of Plymouth’s first governor, John Carver—terrorizes the town. The targets? Those who were part of the Black Friday tragedy: high schoolers who snuck in through the employee entrance, the store owner and his wife, and customers caught on mysteriously deleted security camera footage.

Jessica’s Investigation

Enter Jessica (Nell Verlaque), the store owner’s daughter. She starts piecing together the cryptic messages sent by the killer via Instagram. As the body count rises, Jessica suspects her boyfriend Bobby (Jalen Thomas Brooks) and Ryan (Milo Manheim). But the truth is more sinister than she imagines.

Efficient Characters and Relatable Horror

“Thanksgiving” efficiently establishes its potential victims, making us care about them without losing the impact of its opening sequence. The script, described as a “2023 reboot” of the original mock trailer, balances humor and horror. High schoolers are dopey social media users, and stubborn children lead the sleuths astray.

A Classic Slasher with a Twist

While the twist may be predictable, “Thanksgiving” delivers on its promise of creative kills and plenty of gore. It’s a blast of throwback gnarliness—a classic slasher with a pronounced dark-comic streak. Roth doesn’t hold back, and the result is a satisfying, blood-soaked romp.

• Thanksgiving