Review of the Thanksgiving Movie
Director Eli Roth has called himself a “horror master” in the past, but “Thanksgiving” may be his first good film. Incredibly creepy and wildly funny, this holiday-themed slasher may not be perfect, but it’s worth seeing in a crowded theater. A year after Black’s Friday debacle in which several customers were brutally murdered, a ruthless killer posing as a threatening pilgrim begins stalking everyone involved, especially a group of teenagers. Masu. Roth has never shied away from gore, and he’s never taken his films too seriously (I don’t know if I’ll watch his terrifying cult film Cabin Fever). Thanksgiving revels in the absurdity of the holiday, highlighted by a bombastic opening period where shoppers (literally) fight at each other’s throats to win free waffle makers. Director Roth, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Rendell, doesn’t have any sharp comedic flair, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen a slasher tackle something this ridiculous and ridiculously bloody. The killer dispenses with his victims in grotesque ways, and Roth spares little for the imagination. Thanksgiving serves its dishes raw, and if you like your courses this way, then this movie is for you.
The killer is also a threat. Regardless of who’s behind the mask, we can immediately see the franchise potential for a character like this. Even if the actors aren’t the issue, The who is the movie’s biggest issue, though the actor isn’t the problem. Roth gives us a deliciously wicked “Thanksgiving meal” sequence that probably should have been longer than it is. But when the killer’s identity is revealed, the sense of dread and suspense Roth has establishes dissipates. The killer’s motive to kill sort of makes sense, but their motive to kill in the way they do doesn’t.