Thanksgiving





Plot Synopsis: 

One year after a riot breaks out on Black Friday, a killer begins targeting those responsible in incredibly bloody fashion. 

Positives:

This movie takes a lot of inspiration from the slasher movies of the 1990s (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, etc.), and I think Eli Roth does a pretty good job matching the tone and styles of those movies. There is a whodunnit aspect that I actually think works really well in that regard. One area where I feel Thanksgiving truly stands out is the kills. The kills in this movie are some good, gory fun. Another aspect where I truly think this movie does a good job in paying its respects to the '90s slashers is in its opening. Much like the best opening scenes, the Black Friday riot in the opening of this movie could easily work as its own isolated short. Now, Do I think it's going to be counted among the ranks of the opening scene of something like Scream or Jaws in the years to come? No. But, I also don't necessarily think it needs to either. I should also point out that Patrick Dempsey and Rick Hoffman are scene stealers (not that that should be too much of a surprise). 

Mixed Aspects:

The main thing I have mixed feelings on with this movie is the characters, something I think is a common weakness in Eli Roth movies. Now, in comparison to some of his previous movies, I do think he does a bit of a better job in making some characters more sympathetic. The movie's final girl is okay. I definitely think she's the right choice for the final girl. However, she's not a character that ever really reaches beyond just okay for me. Actress Nell Verlaque is solid enough in the role.

Negatives: 

If I'm being honest, I really only have negative. Near the end of the movie, Roth relies on a dream sequence as one of the final scares. This is a tired trope (I might even push it into the use of the term cliche). Now, I think there are ways you can still utilize the trope and make it interesting. For me, Thanksgiving just doesn't quite reach that. If anything, it feels derivitave of I Know What You Did Last Summer. 

Final Thoughts:

So yeah, I really dig this movie. Is it going to go down as one of my all-time favorites? No. Probably not. But, as someone who was waiting for this after the fake Grindhouse trailer, I'm just glad it didn't disappoint. There's already talk of a sequel, and I'm actually interested in seeing more. 

🩸🩸🩸


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