Thanksgiving (2023 film)

Film by Eli Roth

Thanksgiving

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Eli Roth
Screenplay by| Jeff Rendell
Story by|

* Eli Roth
* Jeff Rendell

Based on|

Thanksgiving

* Eli Roth
* Jeff Rendell

Produced by|

* Eli Roth
* Roger Birnbaum
* Jeff Rendell

Starring|

* Patrick Dempsey
* Addison Rae
* Milo Manheim
* Jalen Thomas Brooks
* Nell Verlaque
* Rick Hoffman
* Gina Gershon

Cinematography| Milan Chadima
Edited by|

* Michele Conroy
* Michel Aller

Music by| Brandon Roberts

Production
companies

* Spyglass Media Group
* Dragonfly Entertainment
* Electromagnetic Productions

Distributed by| TriStar Pictures

Release date

* November 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)

Running time

| 106 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $15 million[2]
Box office| $46.5 million[3][4]

Thanksgiving is a 2023 American slasher film directed by Eli Roth and written by Jeff Rendell, based on a story by the pair, who produced with Roger Birnbaum. Based on Roth's fictitious trailer of the same name from Grindhouse (2007), it is the third feature-length adaptation of a fictitious Grindhouse trailer after Robert Rodriguez's Machete (2010) and Jason Eisener's Hobo with a Shotgun (2011). The film stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, and Gina Gershon, and follows a small Massachusetts town that is terrorized by a killer in a John Carver mask around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving received a theatrical release in the United States by TriStar Pictures on November 17, 2023. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $46 million worldwide. A sequel is in development.

## Plot[edit]

During Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts, an unruly mob gathers outside the local RightMart superstore in preparation for a Black Friday sale. Jessica Wright, whose father, Thomas, owns the store, lets her, along with her boyfriend Bobby, and friends Evan, Gaby, Scuba, and Yulia, inside early through a side door. The riled-up crowd notices them and stampedes into the store in a frenzy, resulting in multiple people dying gruesomely, including Amanda Collins, wife of store manager Mitch. Bobby gets his arm broken in the riot and moves away, ghosting the group.

One year later, despite frequent protests from Mitch and other residents, RightMart begins preparations for another Black Friday sale. Bobby returns to Plymouth, much to the chagrin of Jessica's current boyfriend, Ryan. A waitress named Lizzie is killed by a figure wearing a John Carver mask. Lizzie's involvement in the Black Friday incident leads police to believe those involved are being actively targeted.

Jessica and her friends continue to get tagged in mysterious Instagram posts. Jessica lends the store's security footage over to the town's sheriff, Eric Newlon. Carver kills several residents including students Lonnie and Amy, and security guard Manny, all of whom were involved during the RightMart riot. Evan and Gaby are soon abducted; Jessica narrowly escapes. Yulia is attacked next in her home. Jessica and Scuba make it there but are unable to stop Carver from disemboweling her with a table saw.

The police attempt to lure Carver out by having the Wright family participate in a Thanksgiving parade, disguised as Pilgrims. Carver publicly decapitates a mascot and sets off smoke bombs, giving him the opportunity to abduct the Wrights and Scuba in the chaos. Jessica's stepmother Kathleen is prepared and cooked alive at Carver's hideout. Her corpse is served as a "turkey" at a dinner table where the hostages and victims' corpses are seated. The killer bludgeons Evan to death in a livestream in front of the others; Jessica and Scuba escape and she is able to flee out of the woods to the parade warehouse, where she finds Sherriff Newlon unconscious. She sees Bobby in the Carver costume but he escapes.

The police inform her that her surviving friends and father are safe. In an office alone, Jessica notices the same debris from the woods stuck to her clothing is also on Newlon, which suggests that he's the killer. Newlon reveals his motive for the murders: he had been having an affair with Amanda, who was pregnant with his child. Before her death, she was planning to divorce Mitch and stay with Newlon. Seeking revenge, Newlon began targeting all those responsible during the RightMart riot, as their negligence and ignorance caused Amanda's death. Prior, Newlon had abducted Bobby and put him in the Carver costume, intending to frame him for the massacre. A horrified Newlon realizes Jessica has live-streamed his entire confession, exposing him as the killer. He attacks her but Bobby intervenes.

As Jessica and Bobby attempt to escape in a tow truck, an enraged Newlon attacks again with full intent on killing Jessica for ruining his plans and his life. Jessica loads a musket using her mother's bracelet then shoots down a turkey parade balloon attached to a tank of gas, causing an explosion that engulfs Newlon. In the end, she reunites with Ryan, Gaby, and Scuba while Bobby is taken to the hospital. Authorities are unable to find Newlon's body, leading them to believe he was incinerated in the explosion. Jessica, however, has a nightmare in which she is attacked by a flaming Newlon.

## Cast[edit]

* Patrick Dempsey as Sheriff Eric Newlon
* Nell Verlaque as Jessica
* Addison Rae as Gaby
* Jalen Thomas Brooks as Bobby
* Milo Manheim as Ryan
* Tomaso Sanelli as Evan
* Gabriel Davenport as Scuba
* Jenna Warren as Yulia
* Ty Victor Olsson as Mitch Collins
* Tim Dillon as Manny
* Russell Yuen as Detective Peter Chu
* Karen Cliche as Kathleen
* Derek McGrath as Mayor Cantin
* Joe Delfin as McCarty
* Jeff Teravainen as Deputy Bret Labelle
* Rick Hoffman as Thomas Wright
* Gina Gershon as Amanda Collins

Additionally, Jordan Poole plays Jacob, Mika Amonsen plays Lonnie, Shailyn Griffin plays Amy, Amanda Barker plays Lizzie, Chris Sandiford plays Doug, and Lynne Griffin plays Grandma. Adam MacDonald provides the voice of John Carver.

## Production[edit]

After director Eli Roth created the fake movie trailer, Thanksgiving, for the film Grindhouse (2007), plans for a feature-length adaptation began.[5] In 2010, Roth told CinemaBlend that he was writing the script with Jeff Rendell and that he hoped to complete it once he was done with press for The Last Exorcism (2010).[6] By August 2012, Jon Watts and Christopher D. Ford were set to write the screenplay with Roth and Rendell after they finished writing the Roth-produced Clown (2014).[7] In June 2016, Roth revealed on Reddit that the script still needed work in order for the film to live up to the trailer.[8]

In January 2023, Deadline Hollywood reported that Spyglass Media Group was producing the film. Roth would depart from Borderlands (2024), passing additional photography off to Tim Miller, in order to direct the film.[9] The following month, Patrick Dempsey and Addison Rae joined the cast.[10][11] Also cast were Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, and Milo Manheim.[12][13] In March 2023, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Tim Dillon, Gabriel Davenport, Tomaso Sanelli, and Jenna Warren joined the cast.[14] Principal photography took place in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, from March 13 to May 5, 2023.[15][16]

## Release[edit]

In March 2023, TriStar Pictures acquired the United States rights to the film.[17] Thanksgiving was released in the United States on November 17, 2023.[18] The film was released in India as Bloody Thanksgiving.[19] It was released on digital platforms on December 19, 2023, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on January 30, 2024.[20] The film began streaming on Netflix on February 17, 2024.[21]

## Reception[edit]

### Box office[edit]

Thanksgiving has grossed $31.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $14.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $46.5 million.[3][4]

In the United States and Canada, Thanksgiving was released alongside Next Goal Wins, Trolls Band Together, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and was projected to gross $12–15 million from 3,204 theaters in its opening weekend.[22][2] The film made $3.8 million on its first day, including $1 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $10.4 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[23] The film made $7.2 million in its second weekend (a drop of 31%), finishing in fifth.[24] It then made $2.6 million in its third weekend.[25] The film was re-released in 511 theaters in the United States on the last weekend of January 2024.[26]

### Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 150 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Combining belly-busting humor with delightfully over-the-top gore, Thanksgiving is a feast for grindhouse fans."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[28] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 73% overall positive score.[23]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote "Thanksgiving follows the rules of the slasher genre, but it's got a more charged and entertainingly hyperbolic atmosphere than these movies used to have".[29] Frank Scheck ended his positive review saying, "There are times you can feel Thanksgiving straining too mightily for a cult status it's not likely to achieve. But it seems a safe bet the film will be trotted out like a turkey on cable channels and streaming services for many Thanksgivings to come".[30] The San Francisco Chronicle's G. Allen Johnson gave the film a score of one out of four and wrote, "Thanksgiving could have been a great horror movie. Instead, it's one of those where if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the film".[31]

## Sequel[edit]

In November 2023, Roth announced on his Instagram page that a sequel had been greenlit for a 2025 release.[32]

## See also[edit]

* List of holiday horror films

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Thanksgiving (18)". BBFC. October 27, 2023. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
2. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (November 15, 2023). "Box Office: 'Hunger Games' Prequel 'Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' Targets $50 Million Debut". Variety. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
3. ^ a b "Thanksgiving (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
4. ^ a b "Thanksgiving". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
5. ^ Wortham, Jenna (November 19, 2007). "Director Eli Roth Serves up a Side of Faux Film Schwag for Thanksgiving". Wired. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
6. ^ Eisenberg, Eric (August 24, 2010). "Eli Roth Confirms He's Working On A Thanksgiving Movie". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
7. ^ Bettinger, Brendan (August 23, 2012). "Eli Roth Promises Thanksgiving Is "Gonna Happen" with Writers Jon Watts and Christopher D. Ford". Collider. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
8. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (February 13, 2019). "Could Eli Roth Finally Be Making His Thanksgiving Feature Film?". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
9. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 7, 2023). "Tim Miller Steps In For Eli Roth To Handle 'Borderlands' Reshoot As Roth Cooks Up Feature Version Of 'Grindhouse' Trailer 'Thanksgiving'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
10. ^ Kit, Borys (February 17, 2023). "Patrick Dempsey in Talks to Star in Eli Roth's Thanksgiving Horror Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
11. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 23, 2023). "Addison Rae Lands Lead Role In Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' For Spyglass Media". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
12. ^ Kit, Borys (February 24, 2023). "Eli Roth's Horror Thriller 'Thanksgiving' Finds Its Stars in Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
13. ^ Kit, Borys (March 3, 2023). "'Zombies' Star Milo Manheim Joins Eli Roth Horror Thriller Thanksgiving (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
14. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 16, 2023). "Gina Gershon, Rick Hoffman And Tim Dillon Round Out Cast Of Eli Roth's Thanksgiving At TriStar And Spyglass". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
15. ^ Lovett-squires, Julia (March 16, 2023). "What's Going On Here? Movie featuring Patrick Dempsey filming in Waterdown". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
16. ^ "Current Production and News". Toronto Film Commission. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
17. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 9, 2023). "TriStar Pictures Lands Spyglass Media Group's Thanksgiving, Inspired By Eli Roth's Legendary Grindhouse Fake Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
18. ^ McCall, Kevin (April 3, 2023). "Eli Roth's 'Thanksgiving' Horror Movie Sets Holiday Release Date". Collider. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
19. ^ Cyril, Grace (October 5, 2023). "Bloody Thanksgiving trailer: Eli Roth's film promises a blood-soaked, scary holiday". India Today. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
20. ^ Squires, John (December 21, 2023). "Eli Roth's Thanksgiving Slashes Onto DVD and Blu-ray in January 2024". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
21. ^ Navarro, Meagan (February 16, 2024). "Eli Roth's Thanksgiving Slashes Onto Netflix This Weekend". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 15, 2023). "'Hunger Games: Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes' Looks To Sing $100M+ Worldwide Opening – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
23. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 19, 2023). "'The Hunger Games: Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes' Chirps $44M Opening: Enough To Reignite Franchise?; 'Marvels' Suffers Worst MCU 2nd Weekend Drop – Sunday Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
24. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 26, 2023). "'Songbirds & Snakes' Reigns Supreme Over Thanksgiving Stretch With $42M 5-day; 'Napoleon' Steps On Disney's 'Wish' With $32M+ — Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 3, 2023). "'Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé' $22M Opening Irreplaceable For Sleepy Early December Weekend; Fuels $95M+ Frame Best Post 2018 – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
26. ^ Squires, John (January 26, 2024). "Eli Roth's Thanksgiving Returns to 500+ Theaters This Weekend for Some Reason". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
27. ^ "Thanksgiving". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
28. ^ "Thanksgiving". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
29. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (November 15, 2023). "Thanksgiving Review: Eli Roth Turns His Slasher-Movie Trailer From Grindhouse Into a Real Slasher Movie, and It's Mostly Slashing Good Fun". Variety. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
30. ^ Scheck, Frank (November 15, 2023). "Thanksgiving Review: Patrick Dempsey in an Eli Roth Flick That Offers Just Enough Cheap Kills". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
31. ^ Allen Johnson, G. (November 15, 2023). "Review: Horror film Thanksgiving is a real turkey". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
32. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (November 30, 2023). "Thanksgiving Sequel in the Works With Director Eli Roth". Variety. Retrieved November 30, 2023.

## External links[edit]

* Official website
* Thanksgiving at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Eli Roth

* Cabin Fever (2002)
* Hostel (2005)
* Hostel: Part II (2007)
* Grindhouse (segment "Thanksgiving", 2007)
* The Green Inferno (2013)
* Knock Knock (2015)
* Death Wish (2018)
* The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
* Fin (2021)
* Thanksgiving (2023)
* Borderlands (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Grindhouse

Films|

* Planet Terror
* Death Proof
* Machete
* Hobo with a Shotgun
* Machete Kills
* Thanksgiving

Soundtracks|

* Planet Terror
* Death Proof

Characters|

* Machete

Category

Portals:

* Film
* United States
* Speculative fiction
* Horror
* Holidays

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template