“I’m sorry, this Thanksgiving there will be no leftovers,”
Horror films based on holidays are no new concept. The genre dates back over a century, to 1901’s Marley’s Ghost. The holiday horror genre is a very rich one. In fact, it has brought us cinema classics such as 1978’s Halloween. It has also given us B-movie schlock such as 1993’s Leprechaun.
But if you are familiar with those, does a Thanksgiving horror movie fancy your taste?
Enter November 2023’s Thanksgiving. Though it may not be obvious, this film is based on thanksgiving modern. However, the film also feeds from the history of Thanksgiving. This includes the setting and characters. So, while it is not a new concept, 2023’s Thanksgiving is a holiday slasher worth watching.
Thankful For Togetherness
The film begins on the titular holiday in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A scene I’m sure most American readers are familiar with; the film begins with a Thanksgiving gathering. We see common sightings: a gathering of loved ones, chatter and a fully dressed dinner table. However, contrasted to the olden days, most are familiar with the consumerism of modern holidays. The film instantly starts to add contrasts.
We see a supermarket owner, Thomas Wright, beginning to take a seat at the table; on the other hand, we have the supermarket’s manager, Mitch Collins, preparing to leave. This is the first year that the supermarket, Rightsmart, is open on Black Friday. Someone has to make sure the money is made.
Maybe Too Much Togetherness?
Doesn’t consumerism just bring us together? Onto the next major scene, there is a Black Friday crowd amassing. Our main characters, Jess Wright and Bobby, are in tow. They are two lovers within a friend group of lovers. Amongst them are, Evan, Gaby, Scuba and Yulia. They are having an outing on Thanksgiving, to go to the movies.
There are a few rowdy young whippersnappers in this group. One specifically, Evan, broke his phone during a recent fight. So, they decide to stop at our favorite supermarket, Rightmart. Being the owner’s daughter, Jess has VIP access to the building. She helps her friends enter via the employee entrance — curtailing the rambunctious Black Friday crowd.
Through the glass doors of the store, the anxious shoppers are able to see the teenagers shopping. Well… not necessarily shopping but more so taunting them. You have to be thankful for the vigor consumerism gives us all right? Before long, the angry mob charges the doors causing a mass trampling and riot. As such, Rightmart sees the death of several people within its walls.
The Gift That Keeps Us Guessing
Does it sound like the most interesting premise? Maybe not. However, this holiday slasher takes an interesting approach. Throughout its approximately two-hour runtime, Thanksgiving 2023 subtly morphs into a horror mystery. For all intents and purposes, it did a very good job of keeping me guessing.
Not many horror movies can excel at utilizing social media as a plot device. In fact, many even struggle to include modern technology as a weapon for both heroes and villains. However, there is a realism to Thanksgiving 2023’s usage. Very early on the characters start to receive notifications from an unfamiliar Instagram account, tagging them in posts. The posts initially focus on an undressed Thanksgiving table.
This mystery results in the A-story, the forefront plot, of the movie. Who is behind this mysterious account posting provocative and gruesome images of death to our main and supporting characters?
Maybe It’s Better Not to Guess?
The tags become more ominous as they begin to implicate seats at this Thanksgiving table for our main characters. It’s the usual ambivalence seen in horror movies. If we ignore it, maybe it’ll go away. However, a lot of people have a seat at this Thanksgiving feast.
It reminds us of the game of death seen in Final Destination. We can all guess the future, life gives birth to death. Characters surrounding the original Rightmart tragedy begin dying. The waitress, security guard, the jock and the cheerleader — all die. Each and every kill has a seat at the table.
What triggered this revenge plot? The death of a single person at the Rightmart tragedy. So, the police launch an investigation, tipped off by the taunted teenagers we follow in this movie. The mystery grows into a whodunit. There are many suspects, many subversions, many misdirections and many deaths.
This Black Friday Will Be Dark
Horror movies and graphic depictions go hand in hand. When it comes to horror movies, particularly slashers, we come for the creative slayings. Thankfully, 2023’s Thanksgiving has a few goodies in the bag. The deaths in this movie carry weight. They have severe emotional impact and consequences upon our characters, villains and heroes alike.
It is not often that we have a slasher flick with reasonable motivations — far from the normal schlock. By no means is the schlock not appreciated. 2023’s Thanksgiving just has a lack of plot holes and it serves the mystery nature well. Rarely do our writers here forget what preceded a past plot point.
The cinematography of the movie is no slouch either. Many scenes in this thanksgiving horror movie are well shot. There is a scene about halfway into the movie where the killer strikes. The chaos of the scene is palpable contrasted to their cold and calculated actions.
It is not a perfect slasher by any means. You will get the familiar ‘yelling at the characters’ moment. “Why would they make such a dumb decision?!?!?!” However, it is not a popcorn flick nor one to watch and have a drink with your pals. I mean you can pop popcorn and watch it but it will require attention.
In this thanksgiving horror movie, I’m sorry, there will be no leftovers.
Rating: 7.5/10
Thanksgiving is available to stream on Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and YouTube in the US.
