THANKSGIVING by Phoebe Watson

In 2007 Eli Roth teased audiences with a film short in the style of a parody movie trailer for a horror comedy surrounding the American Holiday of Thanksgiving. Now, 16 years later, his full length feature film delivers a thrilling slasher.

Roth sets the tone for audiences as the movie opens with a ridiculously brutal incident surrounding the infamous Black Friday sales and customer riots that you can’t help but laugh at. As angry customers riot to force their way into a store – a free for all unfolds with our teen protagonists scrambling to film and live stream the incident unfolding in the brightly lit department store.

This movie is full of nods to old school horror and filled with tropes. We have the Jocks, Cheerleaders, the Sensitive one and the mysterious friend, all centering stage as our main characters once again fight back against a masked killer who is terrorising those they deem responsible for the Black Friday riot tragedy.

Despite the many plot holes or weird dialog moments this movie would be great to watch with friends or in a large cinema setting where you can share in the laughs and jump-scares with others.

If you’re a fan of more modern horror movies, this one might not be for you but if you can move past some of this film’s cheesy dialog and lean into its extremities, you’ll have a great time jumping or cringing as the killer chases down the main protagonists. Despite the many tropes, the ending still has us guessing who the killer will be, and pleasantly we were wrong in the end!