Eli Roth's slasher film "Thanksgiving," which began as a fake trailer in the 2007 Grindhouse double feature, is now available to stream on HBO Max. The film, released 16 years after its initial trailer, has garnered significant attention, with some critics hailing it as a modern cult classic and potentially Roth's best work to date.
Set in Plymouth, Massachusetts, "Thanksgiving" centers on a Black Friday stampede at a big-box store that results in multiple deaths. One year later, a mysterious assailant disguised as a Pilgrim begins systematically murdering individuals involved in the incident. The killer taunts the victims and their friends on social media, leaving the local sheriff and the targeted group to uncover the killer's identity before they all fall prey to the vengeful Pilgrim.
The film is noted for its adherence to slasher tropes, featuring a brisk pace, a substantial body count, and surprisingly strong performances. It also delivers some of the decade's most gruesome death scenes, aligning with Roth's reputation for brutal filmmaking, a style that previously led to the categorization of films like "Hostel" as "torture porn."
Despite the film's success and critical reception, the path to a potential sequel, "Thanksgiving 2," has been complicated. Director Eli Roth has indicated that securing the cast for a follow-up has become difficult due to their increased popularity and subsequent commitments, including television projects and concert tours. Nevertheless, "Thanksgiving" stands on its own as a successful and well-regarded slasher film of the 2020s, offering a bloody take on the holiday that has historically been underrepresented in the genre.