Thanksgiving movie review: Eli Roth’s latest is the perfect little slasher movie

Have you ever pushed an old lady out of the way for some discounted tupperware on Black Friday (I have)? Well, you might be the target of the serial killer in Eli Roth’s brand-new slasher, Thanksgiving.

The film follows the story of a Black Friday riot that ends in tragedy, leading to a killer terrorizing Plymouth, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the holiday. If you’ve ever worked Black Friday in retail, you know it’s a dreaded experience. Over the years we saw retailers go from opening at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, some right at midnight, and others open their doors over Thanksgiving night.

Rightfully, this made consumers mad, because people would be at work away from their families on the holiday. In the film’s opening moments, we see a mass audience waiting outside the store, ready to stampede and ensure they get that $6 waffle maker.

The night led to multiple deaths and people asking questions about why stores need to be open. Thomas Wright was the store owner that night, and he doesn’t care that things got hectic. We fast forward a year, and Wright has decided to be open his store on this night again. Regardless of those around him warning him that it’s in bad taste, Wright is a money-hungry guy looking to capitalize on the market.

As a result of that tragic night, one person decided to take things into their own hands and make everyone involved pay for what happened the year prior.

Thanksgiving is inspired by the fake trailer (Eli Roth “directed”) segment of the same name in the 2007 film Grindhouse. Roth’s history has had some hits like Knock Knock and Hostel, but also a few lacklusters such as, The Green Inferno and Death Wish.

For me, Thanksgiving is Roth’s best film to date because he takes the no-nonsense approach of a slasher film and brings it to life in a way reminiscent of the Scream franchise. 

Thanksgiving has everything that a slasher movie needs, including dumb characters (who do dumb things at the worst time), a creepy killer (who isn’t perfect, but gets the job done), a few solid twists, and some incredible kills with plenty of blood, guts, and gore. Is the movie perfect? No, but it doesn’t need to be. I hoped to enjoy watching people get killed for swiping grandma’s waffle maker, and Roth delivered just that. For the best experience, I highly recommend checking this one out on the big screen with an opening weekend audience.

Thanksgiving is in theaters now.