Thanksgiving

9/10

In this new Eli Roth film based on his 2007 mock trailer made for the Grindhouse double feature, a year after a tragic Thanksgiving event a killer dressed up as Plymouth Colony governor John Carver goes on a vengeance-driven killing spree.

Thanksgiving is a love letter to slashers. It manages to not only honor the building blocks of the genre but is also its own thing. There are so many slasher movies where the script didn't work out or is just okay that it's refreshing to see a film that moves efficiently and is well written and thought out. The opening that shows the "event" is just so well crafted. Characters feel distinct and there's even a good portion of dark humor. If you're tired of horror movies where they make bad decisions, this is refreshing in that the characters play things relatively smart. 

The movie has some of the more gruesome and innovative or well orchestrated kills in some time. If you saw the nastiest kill hinted in the trailers, I got to warn you that it is a LOT. This movie is not for the squeamish. Some of the kills are Thanksgiving themed and there is a demented creativity behind them.

For those who like horror but would prefer a morality tale where the guilty are targeted instead of the innocent, then this is for you. It's kinda easier to enjoy the carnage as most of the characters aren't great people and have a reason for being targeted. However, for the main group of teens they make them self-interested enough that they make solid cannon fodder, but not mean-spirited enough that you aren't invested in the chance of them making it out alive.

The biggest weak point of the movie is that it's pretty easy to guess who the killer is. Which is too bad, because the film did a good job of making multiple characters have good motivation (you understand the "event" is the general reason the killings are happening, but there are multiple aspects of it which makes guessing the exact "why" a little more interesting) or of making characters without a motive seem suspicious without knocking the audience over the head.

Solid cast. I'm surprised you don't see Grey's Anatomy/Enchanted's Patrick Dempsey in more stuff. He's playing the sheriff complete with a Massachusetts accent and really sells his role. Some may have mixed opinions on Thomas Hoffman's performance as the owner of Plymouth's biggest store. His performance has an odd energy and it's hard to guess where he stands. However, I felt Hoffman's acting choices stood out.

Highly recommended. This is an original slasher that maybe even outshines other recent types of the genre.