Most of us associate Patrick Dempsey with being Dr McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy and associate Thanksgiving-themed movies with the family-oriented comedy genre. However, a particular Eli Roth-directed slasher film storming on Netflix this week subverts our expectations about both Dempsey and Thanksgiving-themed movies.
Written by Jeff Rendell and directed by Roth, who thrives on making B-grade horror films that often teeter on exploitation territory (like the Mondo films-inspired The Green Inferno), Thanksgiving is not your average holiday flick.
Starring Dempsey alongside Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, and an ensemble cast, Thanksgiving is set in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The film starts with the town’s annual gathering outside a local superstore in preparation for a Black Friday sale. Chaos ensues when the store owner allows his daughter, her boyfriend, and several friends to enter through the back door, triggering a deadly stampede and a blood-filled melee. A year later, the town is gripped with fear as a killer donning a John Carver mask wreaks havoc around the Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving is a relentless rollercoaster of terror, complete with all the gore and suspense that slasher aficionados crave. But what’s even more intriguing than the film itself is its origin story. This blood-soaked tale of terror takes inspiration from Roth’s fictitious trailer of the same name featured in the Grindhouse double-feature film of 2007.
Thanksgiving began its journey as a mere fake trailer in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse. Crafted by Eli Roth, this trailer captured the imagination of horror fans worldwide, sparking demand for a full-length feature. Fast forward to 2023, and Thanksgiving finally hit theatres, receiving praise from critics and audiences alike.
With its unexpected twists, relentless thrills, and a generous serving of gore, Thanksgiving is a must-watch for horror enthusiasts craving something outside the typical holiday movie fare. This one is more in line with films like Halloween and Friday the 13th.
You can tune into Thanksgiving on Netflix and catch the trailer here:
