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Eli Roth has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. But sixteen years ago his Thanksgiving blessings seemed like a mere fantasy. Let’s flashback to 2007 where Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s “Grindhouse” was released. A throwback to an era of double feature movie going that consisted of exploitative schlock. In between their respective films (Planet Terror and Death Proof) was an array of fake movie trailers and advertisements. Meant to be just a fun few gags that were taking a little too in demand (Rodriguez’s Machete was the first fake trailer made into a real movie). All the fake fanfare aside one thing was for certain. People saw a little and they wanted a whole lot more. Of those fake trailers the most praised was Eli Roth’s quick love letter to 70’s holiday slashers, “Thanksgiving.” The trailer was quick and precise, a mad man was running around small town Americana carving up people for the annual feast. With just two and half minutes Roth had the internet (specifically film bloggers) begging for more. And while the dream has become a reality one thing that was unexpected was as the upsurge of reboots to slasher franchises that have happened in the last decade. We’ve gotten three “Scream” films continuing the franchise since as well as an entire reboot trilogy of the “Halloween” movies. Not to mention some very unremarkable remakes that went nowhere. While the desire to keep the slasher genre is still alive very few have been able to harness that same passion of an era that defined the genre. Roth may not have made THANKSGIVING to save slasher films, but it is certainly here to bring us back to its better days. It’s the kind of treat that even as you watch it is begging to be put on your annual holiday watch list and you know what it damn well deserves it. It may carry the staple Roth vulgarity that many have come to love (and twice as many have come to hate) but even more so it’s shot with such love and respect for a begotten time that you find yourself wondering “wait have we been making these movies wrong for the past few decades?” The answer is far from simple but THANKSGIVING is certainly of product of have your turkey and eat it too.

Thanksgiving has always been a brutal holiday. Its history is rooted in violence that is constantly rewritten and erased to fit an American narrative. Today it’s regulated to family arguments, lazy football food coma watching and of course the dreaded Black Friday midnight sales that somehow move up earlier and earlier each year. For Roth those nightmare door busting deals seems like a perfect start his slasher. Plymouth Massachusetts the birthplace of Thanksgiving and the whole town seems to have skipped the wholesome meal and thankful part and went straight to the fifty percent off cooking appliances part. For teenager Jessica (a charming Nell Verlaque) this means her father’s store RightMart is now the Mecca of her town. Her father (Rick Hoffman) knows keeping the store open and starting the sales earlier means less time for his employees to spend with their families but both he and his new wife Kathleen (Karen Cliche) have no intentions of shutting down their doors or supplying enough security to ensure everyone’s safety. That safety is left to a few unarmed security guards and Sheriff Newlon (Patrick Dempsey aka The Sexiest Man Alive according to People Magazine). It’s not hard to tell especially if you yourself have attended one of these door buster sales that all hell is about to break loose but what makes this prologue so amusing is the introduction of Jessica’s friend’s (which include Jenna Warren, Gabriel Davenport, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Tomaso Sanelli and Addison Rae) and how it is their involvement that causes the a stampede chaos that results in an all-out tragedy. Roth is having his enjoyment reminding us of the sadistic behavior we display during this time of gratitude. Setting his film in Massachusetts Roth also gets to have some hysterical fun making light mockery of his own roots full accents abound and constant fighting amongst schoolmates. But even with all this aggressive banter nothing compares to the violence that will now haunt Jessica and this town forever. But memories can be moved on from after all the town is in full force a year later ready to keep the celebration going. Perhaps that’s why a killer has emerged donning a John Carver mask and wielding a historical axe chopping up specific towns people and terrorizing Jessica and her friends which now includes her new boyfriend Ryan (a scene stealing Milo Manheim).

THANKSGIVING doesn’t hide that it is a clear passionate love letter to 70’s holiday slashers that included “Black Christmas,” “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” and even “My Bloody Valentine,” but the movement of the story being in modern day versus bringing it back to the seventies all together allows for the film to feel not just fresh, but even new to the characters themselves. A cast made up of young actors who were not even born until nearly forty years after the films they are honoring allows the film to feel less self-aware for its cast and instead fully immersed in the terror. Gone is any meta acknowledgment of “survival rules” or legacy characters no these kids don’t realize they are in a horror movie because this is just their reality plain and simple. Even when Roth pulls back the curtain on some of his inspirations, he does so with the notion of still wanting to move forward with the times to tell his version. But even with modern times THANKSGIVING is still a whodunnit and its slew of suspects want to keep you guessing as well as just enjoying the ride not looking for every detail of “it could be them” attitude. Sure some of Jessica’s friends fit the bill. Evan the over aggressive male is what I imagine Eli Roth envisioned himself as in a world where he chose sports over film, Tomaso Sanelli even comes with his own Roth impressions. Then of course there is the ex boyfriend Bobby who has mysteriously come back into Jessica’s life, but what about the new boyfriend Ryan who seems too kind to be true even if he does win her friends over with tickets to the Patriots game (not a great flex this year however). Or hell maybe its just the cutsey best friend Gabby who much like the person portraying her Addsion Rae just wants to have a fun time no matter the cost. All these and of course those still affected by last years tragedy fit the bill. But when They all are mysteriously entered into an unknown group chat from “Carver” inviting them to the table suspicions only grow wider.

All of Jessica’s investigation matters little though when people around her are getting carved up one by one. Knowing an Eli Roth movie means being prepared for violence of a sadistic matter and while thankfully this is not the “Green Inferno” or “Hostel” of Thanksgiving movies there are still some watch between the fingernails carnage that will make you never look at some cooking tools the same way. THANKSGIVING isn’t just satisfied with gnarly kills, it wants its new face of terror to make you feel like you once did with the genre. This horrifying idea that yes who is under the mask is important but when you are running for your life does it really matter? It may not matter when trying to survive but for Sheriff Newlon who still beleievs in the magic of Thanksgiving stopping these crimes is everything. Patrick Dempsey may not be a stranger to the slasher genre (his Mark Kincaid from Scream 3 is still a fan favorite) but here Dempsey gets to be full on goof ball and apparently using his real life accent (you be the judge). But one thing is certain this is the most fun the actor has seemed to have had in quite some time. In fact THANKSGIVING for all its main young cast devotes plenty of time to its older cast members not necessarily going beyond the usual depth given in the genre, but instead just enough time to not only care if they live or die, but to truly laugh and scream at their time on screen.

The film knows though its origins and that most of it was built out of a joke. There film itself is full of them. The mere fact of a Thanksgiving horror movie is funny all by itself so add a dancing turkey mascot just to have it massacred, its hard not to laugh sadistic or not. It also knows to be thankful to its original fans that campaigned so hard for its existence. Quick but always welcomed callbacks to the original trailer will put a grin on any devoted fans face, just as does new ideas and characters such as a local drug dealer that feels way too much like a Chris Evans if he never become captain America type guy. Roth knows its been silly from the start regardless of the brutality. He honors that notion without it being a constant wink wink to the camera (take notes Blumhouse).

THANKSGIVING is not just a passion project it is clearly a vessel for Roth to expand his abilities as a director. He playfully utilizes the dark lighting of the season (thanks to cinematographer Milan Chadima) for some truly inspiring shots that are right up there with their influences. Roth knows you recognize the homage, but again he wants you to keep moving foward with him and allow him to do his own thing. This has never been a problem for the director of the sexual thriller “Knock Knock” (don’t show your parents) but it continuous to be so exciting to see the love behind many of these frames especially when it comes to moments of silent intensity.

Like most thanksgiving meals the film leaves you with a full belly but there is still that feeling of wanting more. Not an insult but rather that itch of not being able to let a good meal go even when your belt is running out of notches. It took sixteen years to get this iteration so who knows if Roth and company even have another one in them, but the desire to go back for seconds or even thirds is definitely there. So yea maybe THANKSGIVING has saved the slasher, if nothing else it certainly has set the table and is ready for us to feast.

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THANKSGIVING WILL BE RELEASED IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE NOVEMEBER 17