One of the most extreme and violent Thanksgiving horror movies was only released a year ago, and luckily for those seeking something darkly funny for the upcoming holiday, you can watch it right now on Netflix! Yes, the aptly titled film Thanksgiving from director Eli Roth was first released theatrically in November 2023, and this year, we can honor the slasher by starting an annual rewatch.
Based on the fictional trailer produced as part of Grindhouse (2007), Roth finally gets his chance to turn the gory concept into a full-blown movie. Not only does Thanksgiving have plenty of fun with traditions like the centerpiece turkey, parades, and more, but it also has one of the most hilarious and wild Black Friday sequences in cinematic history.
Thanksgiving doesn't waste any time getting to the good stuff, as the film opens on a local superstore called RightMart in Plymouth, Massachusetts prepping for the most intense retail day of the year. But seeing as this is a horror movie, and one from the guy who brought us Hostel, mind you, things quickly take a chaotic turn as people are killed, scalped, and stampeded in the ensuing rush to get inside and cash in on the best deals.
The movie then skips ahead one year, where a killer wearing a John Carver mask has started murdering people connected to the RightMart incident, indicating that he might have a score to settle or seeking vengeance for someone who died on that fateful day.
Those who did watch Grindhouse and are familiar with Roth's original trailer will recognize plenty of scenes, except now he's got a much bigger budget to fully realize his gory ideas.
A sequel to the movie is currently in development. Earlier this year, Roth said he and his co-writer Jeff Rendell were about to give the sequel script to the studio, per Variety. They also added that Addison Rae, one of the lead characters in the first movie, would likely return for the sequel.
Besides Rae, the 2023 film also stars Patrick Dempsey, Gina Gershon, Rick Hoffman, Nell Verlaque, Milo Manheim, and Jalen Thomas Brooks.
Given how few holiday horror movies there are, and significantly fewer that are specifically about Thanksgiving, it's nice to finally have a reliably good slasher to rewatch every November. If you'd rather own the movie, you can also rent or buy it digitally or purchase a physical copy.