(Credit: Netflix)

Gone is the festive period when pumpkin pies ruled the palette. It’s officially time for roasted turkeys to take over, which means Thanksgiving is around the corner. While we surely have a lot to be thankful for all year round, once you slowly begin succumbing to food coma, the only way to recover is a good movie marathon to end the day with. Thankfully, Netflix is always here to save the day.

Since Thanksgiving is all about quality time with friends and family, even when the feast is over, the party shouldn’t stop.

Especially, given that showbiz has plenty of Thanksgiving moments to cherish in its Hall of Fame, how could we not honour the holiday by bonding over a movie night?

Sure, the thought must have struck you before, but the struggle of selection is truly real. So, let us do the heavy lifting this time with the five best Thanksgiving movies to stream on Netflix right now.

The five best Thanksgiving movies to stream on Netflix

Mixtape (Valerie Weiss, 2021)

There’s no bigger blessing than family. Then again, not everyone is lucky enough to spend their entire childhood, teenage years, and adulthood with them; a lot like Mixtape’s protagonist, Beverly, who lost her parents to a devastating accident when she was just two. While she has received parental warmth from her grandmother, Gail, the fact that the latter refuses to open up about her parents drives her to pursue the high road, especially after she finds a mixtape that belonged to her mom.

Desperate to recover the record, Beverly goes above and beyond, reckoning that the only way to know her parents better is the mixtape itself. While Mixtape is an emotional ride packed with comedic elements, it’s the perfect watch on Thanksgiving to remind you what to be grateful for.

Thanksgiving (Eli Roth, 2023)

Halloween may be done and dusted, but in case you want a mix of spook with Thanksgiving this holiday season, Eli Roth’s 2023 slasher film will do the rest. While this may not be a movie in the DNA of feel-good, it’s the perfect pick for everything eccentric. Based on the fictitious trailer from Grindhouse, the film starring Patrick Dempsey and Addison Rae opens in a tiny town in Massachusetts, caught in a state of terror over the carnage of a serial killer.

Thanksgiving picks up a year after the tragic ending of a Black Friday riot and revolves around this notorious killer who sports a John Carver mask and goes on a killing streak during the title holiday.

His Three Daughters (Azazel Jacobs, 2023)

Speaking of gratitude, if you want a movie that will touch your heart and convince you to look past old grievances, whether it concerns friends or family, tune into His Three Daughters on Netflix. The movie primarily revolves around three estranged sisters, Katie, Christina, and Rachel, who reunite with each other during the toughest of times when their dad is rapidly succumbing to illness and counting his last few days.

Despite being sisters, they are completely different from one another, which doesn’t exactly make the situation easy. But they somehow come to terms with each other’s quirks, knowing that the cold confrontations make more sense than the cold stares since that’s exactly what their father would like for them to give in return.

Yes Day (Miguel Arteta, 2021)

For those who just crave a comic escape to make the most of the Thanksgiving holiday with family this year, Yes Day fits just the bill. The family comedy movie follows a couple who have completely grown tired of saying “no” to their children. However, the constant negative nod soon backfires when the kids begin to feel suppressed and stifled.

To find a solution, the parents take advice from their children’s gym teacher and propose a 24-hour “Yes Day,” which ideally means non-stop fun, games, and requests from kids they can’t just say “no” to. If you’ve a younger cousin or sibling, it’s best not to give them ideas. Otherwise, you’re good to go.

Fatherhood (Paul Weitz, 2021)

Based on Matthew Logelin’s 2011 memoir, Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love, Fatherhood is a heartwarming comedy-drama starring Kevin Hart, whose life takes a tragic turn following the sudden death of his wife. While the emotional burden is too much to handle, he now has to shoulder the responsibility of fatherhood on his own.

Although amateur with his ways, Fatherhood follows his daily struggles to keep himself together while figuring out how to raise his daughter. The Netflix film may not be a designated Thanksgiving entry, but it surely fits the occasion, as it humbles you with an honest worldview of single parenting.