What’s it about?

After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, an axe-murderer starts picking off victims in a small Massachusetts town.

What’d we think?

Based on a fake trailer filmed for the Tarantino-Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse back in 2007, Thanksgiving finds director Eli Roth developing the 2-minute gag trailer into a fully-fledged slasher that manages to maintain the gruesomeness and goofiness of the original. The movie opens with a horrific incident during a Black Friday sale that shatters an entire town. When we pick up a year later, people involved in the incident start getting offed one by one by a mysterious killer in a pilgrim outfit.

Though clunky at times (especially the awkward Gen Z and on-the-nose dialogue), the movie works. One thing Eli Roth isn’t is subtle: gore-hounds and horror movie fans will be pleased to hear that Thanksgiving does not shy away from gruesome murders and gore. It’s also fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Eli Roth movies don’t always work, but he was successful with this one and it’s something we can all be thankful for.