Canon EOS R10

On paper, it's crazy that Eli Roth'sThanksgivingexists. It's even crazier that it's any good. In fact, its gravy-fueled good time.

What started as a goofy parody sizzle trailer for Grindhouse was adapted into a feature last year and is arguably one of the most fun, best written slasher movies we've gotten in a long time. Considering horror movies are in a bit of a (dare I say) Golden Age with the likes of A24, Neon, and Blumhouse producing frequent notable hits, this is a high accolade. When I first saw the trailer for Thanksgiving, I'll admit I was skeptical. It seemed like a silly cash grab without much merit, but I'm happy to admit that wasn't the case.

Was it very silly? Absolutely. But it was silly with a wink, using the simple set-up of "slasher villain in a generic John Carver mask" to an elevated blast. Part of why it works so well is in it's opening scene portraying a Black Friday riot inciting the motive for its masked killer.

Below, let's revisit this scene and dissect how Thanksgiving established itself as a Thanksgiving movie that deserves our attention.