Forget the turkey and stuffing!
This Thanksgiving, the main course is pure, unadulterated carnage.
If you’re familiar with slasher horrors like Scream or Fear Street, you’ll definitely be interested in this gory mix of teenage drama and gut-wrenching kills, all with one final twist to wrap it all up.
What’s the story?
A year after a disastrous Black Friday riot — which ironically occurred on a Thursday — at a local superstore leaves a body count, the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, gets a taste of holiday-themed revenge.
A masked killer, dressed as the historical figure John Carver, begins stalking and brutally “carving” up those he holds responsible for the tragedy.
This isn’t one of those slasher murder sprees that’s done without any prior agenda. It’s a full-on, holiday-themed massacre, showing us the extent to which one can go to avenge a loved one, especially in a small town like Plymouth.
The killer uses axes, power saws, and even a meat tenderizer to turn his victims into macabre, gruesome tableaus.
His end goal?
To gather his targets and serve them up for a horrifying Thanksgiving dinner where they are literally the main course. With a shocking twist and a relentless pace, Thanksgiving is a visceral, bloody delight that serves up a feast of creative kills and jaw-dropping gore.
But just how well does Director Eli Roth do to turn such a high-spirited moment into a nightmare to remember?
Let’s find out!
✅ What Works: The Main Course
Inventive, gory kills. This is the movie’s biggest hook. Eli Roth leans heavily into practical effects, delivering outrageous, holiday-themed deaths that are shocking, nasty, and darkly humorous. From corn-cob skewers to oven roasts, the creativity in the kills is pure slasher joy.
Fast, fun momentum. The film wastes no time on “elevated horror” detours or heavy backstory. Instead, it charges forward with a brisk, playful pace that feels straight out of the golden era of ‘80s and ‘90s slashers.
A loving slasher homage. Fans of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer will feel right at home. Between the whodunnit structure, the high school setting, and the masked killer with a methodical streak, Thanksgiving wears its genre love on its bloody sleeve.
❌ Where It Falls Short: Room for Leftovers
A predictable mystery. Anyone versed in slasher tropes will spot the bait-and-switch from miles away. The big reveal doesn’t shock you. Rather, it confirms what most viewers may have already guessed.
Flat characters. The teen cast is all archetypes, no depth. They’re watchable, but it’s hard to care who lives or dies, and sometimes you might be rooting for the killer just to spice things up.
Messy logic gaps. The killer’s supernatural ability to be everywhere at once stretches believability, even by horror standards. Jessica’s escape and the villain’s instant, elaborate staging trick, for example, feel more like plot convenience than clever writing.
A muddled ending. The showdown is action-packed but unsatisfying. The killer’s motivation feels flimsy, the pacing of the climax is too rushed, and a few unanswered questions leave the movie limping to the credits instead of sprinting to the finish.
Final Verdict: 3/5
Thanksgiving doesn’t try to reinvent the slasher horror style or elevate it with deep, complex themes. Instead, it fully embraces what makes these movies so much fun: inventive, a brisk pace, and a killer wrapped in historic attire. It is a glorious, blood-soaked love letter to the slasher films of a bygone era.
If you are looking for a suspenseful, bloody, and surprisingly funny film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you absolutely need to watch this movie.
