(Credit: Netflix)

There are still four months left until Thanksgiving in 2025. That time of year when towns glow with lights, homes fill with laughter, and the air smells of fresh turkey.

But this is not that kind of Thanksgiving. This one swaps warmth for sheer terror. Cosy dinners are replaced with cold-blooded murders, one after another. We are talking about the 2023 horror slasher Thanksgiving, and it is leaving Netflix on August 16th. If you have been putting it off, now is the time to carve out a couple of hours. This is not your average holiday flick.

The film is set in a quiet Massachusetts town still reeling from a deadly Black Friday riot the year before. At first glance, everything looks festive. Decorations hang in shop windows. Families gather. Gossip drifts through the air. But beneath that cheerful surface, something darker is brewing. A killer dressed as a colonial pilgrim begins a string of brutal murders. Soon, everyone realises that someone is out for revenge… and they might be next.

What makes Thanksgiving so watchable is how it embraces its absurd premise without losing its bite. Director Eli Roth mixes self-aware humour with moments that make you flinch. One scene will have you laughing at the sheer audacity. The next will make you squirm as the killer delivers a shockingly creative death. It is a ride that never lets you get too comfortable.

The cast delivers exactly what a slasher needs. Nell Verlaque stands out as the determined heroine, piecing together the killer’s identity. Patrick Dempsey plays the local sheriff with a mix of charm and suspicion. And then there is the masked pilgrim. Silent, methodical, and oddly magnetic. Each appearance is both thrilling and unsettling, keeping you glued to the screen.

Something to think about with this Netflix film is that beneath the blood and jump scares, there is a sly commentary on greed and consumerism. The chaotic opening riot is one of the wildest depictions of Black Friday ever filmed. It sets the tone for the madness that follows. The killer’s motives tie back to selfishness and the darker side of community pride, adding a surprising layer to all the chaos.

Horror fans will not need much convincing. But even if you are new to slashers, Thanksgiving is an easy watch. It is quick and never takes itself too seriously. You do not need to know every horror trope to enjoy it, though spotting them is part of the fun.

With just days left before it leaves Netflix, this is your chance. Watch it with friends, preferably late at night, when the jump scares hit harder and the ridiculous moments land even better. It is gruesome, yes, but it is the kind of gory fun that keeps the slasher genre alive.

Before August 16th rolls around, make time for Thanksgiving. It is a holiday feast of frights, and you will want a seat at the table before it is gone.