Ahhh, Thanksgiving. A time for some yummy food, some family time, and, most importantly, a perfect time to watch a bunch of movies.
While a "Thanksgiving" movie might be harder to qualify than a "Christmas" or "Halloween" movie, there are lots of movies that take place around Thanksgiving or have a pertinent Thanksgiving scene that make them a perfect side to any main course Thanksgiving dish. There are also factors such as family dynamics, and general fall vibes that culminate in the perfect vibes for any cinephile who wants to celebrate.
Check out our list below, and enjoy the holiday with some of the best movies Turkey Day has to offer.
1. 'Funny People'
While there may only be one true (very funny) Thanksgiving scene, the overarching themes of career versus family are arguably stuffed with Thanksgiving undertones in this Judd Apatow classic.
2. 'Spider-Man'
Oops! We invited my arch nemesis to Thanksgiving dinner! Talk about awkward...
3. 'Plains, Trains, and Automobiles'
Arguably the pinnacle of Thanksgiving cinema. John Hughes delivers a pitch perfect comedy with Steve Martin and John Candy with the catalyst of Thanksgiving. Gobble it and weep.
4. 'Thanksgiving'
Eli Roth's Thanksgiving is adapted from a parody trailer he made for the Tarantino/Rodriguiz passion project Grindhouse. It's a slasher where someone dressed as John Carver seeks revenge on a town after a tragic Black Friday shopping trampede.
Nothing about it should work, but boy does it. Thanksgiving is an instant Holiday slasher classic.
5. 'Krisha'
Krisha is one of the most uncomfortable, cringe-inducing indie dramas ever made about thanksgiving. Not only is it a great character study and explorations of the consequences of boiling unspoken family drama, but also portrays an uncomfortable Thanksgiving maybe too well.
6. 'She’s Gotta Have it'
Three suitors vying for one lover at Thanksgiving? I don't know if this is better or worse than the Green Goblin.
7. 'American Gangster'
This Ridley Scott epic opens on Thanksgiving day and uses Thanksgiving as a pivotal plot point throughout. In America, Thanksgiving is everything.
8. 'Four Brothers'
Four brothers banding together to avenge their mother on Thanksgiving? Now that's Thanksgiving as hell.
9. 'You’re Next'
Adam Wingard's You're Next may not take place on Thanksgiving directly, but it's themes and setting of an uncomfortable family gathering makes for some undeniable Thanksgiving canon that make it more than deserving of this list.
10. 'ThanksKilling'
ThanksKilling is a D-movie slasher movie about the once ancient force of a fowl mouthed killer turkey slaying victims on Thanksgiving. What more do you want? This should be all 29 options.
11. 'Lady Bird'
As the above promo suggests, Greta Gerwig's coming-of-age masterpiece Lady Birdis layered with the thankful DNA to make it a modern Thanksgiving classic.
12. 'Frances Ha'
There is only one Thanksgiving scene in this perfect movie, but while we're on the topic of Greta Gerwig I am selfishly including it.
13. 'The Royal Tenenbaums'
Another "not-so-but-basically Thanksgiving" addition, The Royal Tenenbaums makes the list for its portrayal of dysfunctional families—the only thing more Thanksgiving than turkey.
14. 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)'
Another one for the dysfunctional families category, Noah Baumbach takes the cake with this movie that isn't but might as well be about Thanksgiving.
15. 'Thanksgiving' (Adam Newport-Berra)
The title says it all! A modern, under appreciated indie movie called Thanksgiving. Give thanks and enjoy.
16. 'Hannah and Her Sisters'
Like Four Brothers, but for sisters.
Just kidding. It's just a Woody Allen comedy that's set on Thanksgiving. No vengeance here.
17. 'Home Sweet Home'
Another Thanksgiving slasher. This is the lesser of the four, but, hey, holiday appropriate horror cred where it's due.
18. 'Son in Law'
Pauly Shore's swan song as a respected public figure. Whether you're thankful for his popular demise, or celebrate he got to be goofy in this fun comedy set on Thanksgiving, Son in Law is a fun one.
19. 'The Oath'
Modern comedy set on and about Thanksgiving! That's right!
20. 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'
This is a perfect Wes Anderson movie about being thankful for all those around you. Also has fall Thanksgiving vibes on top of that. I'd recommend any time of the year, but this is well deserving of the ranks of Thanksgiving cinema.
21. 'Misstress America'
Another perfect Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig collab that takes place in New York on Thanksgiving. As I am currently in New York on Thanksgiving, this resinates.
22. 'You’ve Got Mail'
In this scene in the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan rom-com vehicle You've Got Mail, Hanks character Joe Fox intercepts Ryan's Kathleen Kelly having trouble at the super market when the cashier refuses to run her credit card, holding up the line behind.
Joe Fox then persists that there is, in fact, a credit card reader, convincing the casher to allow Kathleen Kelly to use her credit card, as she does not have cash.
In triumph of this victory, Joe Fox tells everyone "Happy Thanksgiving!"
23. 'Pocahontas'
Nothing says Thanksgiving better than a Disney-fied take on imperialism and putting a rose colored lens over the genocide of indigenous people in America.
Happy Thanksgiving!
24. 'Prisoners'
The catalyst of Prisoners is a Thanksgiving dinner gone wrong, and the rest of the movie honestly should make anyone grateful they aren't experiencing what literally anyone in Prisoners is going through. It's not a warm slice of pumpkin pie, I'll tell you that!
25. 'Free Birds'
Free Birds is an animated movie about Turkeys escaping their untimely fate as dinner. What more do you want from me?
26. 'Knives Out'
While Knives Out isn't specifically a Thanksgiving movie, it is a movie about a dysfunctional family gathering that takes place in New England in the fall. That's pretty Thanksgiving if you ask me!
27. 'Hot Rod'
This is a stretch, but Hot Rod deserves love at every turn, and I am grateful for Hot Rod. It's sort of about finding identity in family, so I'm going to argue that qualifies it for the list.
Also there is this scene where Scrooge offers a cooked goose for everyone, and that's, like, really close to Thanksgiving.
28. 'National Lampoons Holiday Reunion'
National Lampoons does Thanksgiving! Bryan Cranston plays a hippy stoner guy! Happy Thanksgiving.
29. 'The Humans'
Let's end with a poignant dramedy adapted from the stage about how Thanksgiving (or family-oriented holidays in general) can give us an opportunity to spend time with the ones we love in a less cynical, more sweet way.
