Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Thanksgiving’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Still from ELI ROTH’S THANKSGIVING Courtesy of Sony Pictures.

There was a time, where holiday themed horror films were rare and looked down upon. Sure, there were outliers that explored terrors untold on say, Valentine’s Day and even Christmas. But for the most part, there was a real sense of disrespect that accompanied putting together horror features revolving around a particular holiday. As though the collective understanding was that audiences did not want to see people die during a celebration of something special, and so… many a filmmaker stayed away. But as the years rolled along, it became inherently clear that there was a grand demand for horror movies that explored the various holidays that make up any given year.
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Just because, holidays, especially THE holiday season, can be quite stressful in nature. And being able to settle in and see a scary story play out revolving around the worst parts of the season can be cathartic in nature. Which in turn, began to bring forth more and more holiday horror features. The kind that were low budget in nature in the beginning, but quickly evolved into something more polished and powerful as the demand grew and grew. In fact, after many years of waiting, one has finally come to bear that offers catharsis regarding one particular holiday that stresses everyone out. One borne from the archives of Grindhouse and the imagination of Eli Roth, and that makes Thanksgiving, a dementedly delectable delight. 

For this is a story that sends us into the heart of Plymouth, Massachusetts on Thanksgiving Day, so we can be privy to an outright disaster. For on this particular Turkey Day, the ‘value’ of a Black Friday/Thanksgiving shopping deal at the town’s biggest store, has whipped the town into a frenzy, and one unfortunate decision from the store owner’s daughter, Jessica, leads to a Black Friday Massacre. Wherein greed leads to lost lives and of course… zero accountability since no one rich ever faces that, leaving Jessica’s dad high and dry. But one year after the events of that horrific Thanksgiving, something sinister has found its way into the town of Plymouth. A bloodthirsty stranger who identifies only as John Carver, and he wants nothing more than justice for those who lost their lives on that unfortunate night. And he will stop at nothing to carve up every last one of the guilty, and now it is up to Jessica and her friends to uncover the true identity of this monster and stop him, before he makes their guts the next centerpiece at his dinner table. 

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Which is… a perfect plot, through and through. One that we did not know the original trailer/concept from Grindhouse was capable of supporting since it leaned so heavy into the gore and guts. But hey, that was a sizzle reel in the end, and giving this time and giving this care, brought to life one epic plot that truly is as smart as they come. After all, there’s a lot to hate about Black Friday, and Thanksgiving in and of itself, is an extremely stressful time. Which can be filled with anxiety and dread over the dinner that awaits and the people we sometimes have to deal with. So, those elements and that plot perfectly encapsulates those feelings, and gives rise to real catharsis Since we get to work out our disdain for the holiday and Black Friday through the awful events that play out here, which are by the way… top notch moments of horror.
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For John Carver is ruthless, and genuinely eager to hurt others. Which means we are treated to some incredible kills. The kind that are creative and inventive and at times, downright terrifying. Because Mister Roth clearly wanted to do more than just offer up a well-polished slasher, he wanted to offer the complete package. A movie that satisfied the gore hounds of the genre, the folks that want to be utterly terrified and horrified, and those who want intense and splattery kills, and it really is mission accomplished regarding that. Since you’ll find all of those elements here and you’ll be satisfied with the intensity of the scares and of course… the finale of the film is nothing short of brilliant. Since the killer’s true identity is quite the shocker and everything that leads up to the reveal of their identity in the third act is pure gory and uncomfortable madness.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this motion picture features an amazing cast. For Patrick Dempsey, yes… Patrick Freakin’ Dempsey… shines as Sheriff Eric Newton and adds a realistic gravitas to this film that helps to suck us into this world. Plus, you can never go wrong with a dash of Gina Gershon, and the fear that comes forth from teenagers being chased by a masked killer, is sold by some phenomenal performances as well. With Nell Verlaque leading the charge as Jessica, and well, in the end, all of these elements make for an amazing horror film. One that was worth the wait and one that absolutely satisfies. Because this one really has it all, and it absolutely engages you and keeps you hooting and hollering as you wait to see who is behind the mask, and learn why exactly they are so eager, to carve up the flawed but decent citizens of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

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