Thanksgiving

Director: Eli Roth
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Milo Manheim, Tomaso Sanelli, Gabriel Davenport, Jenna Warren, Ty Victor Olsson, Karen Cliche, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon
Running Time: 106 min.
Rating: R

 

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

When Eli Roth's 70's-inspired trailer for the fictitious horror film Thanksgiving appeared during Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse in 2007, many assumed a feature would be right around the corner. Nearly seventeen years later, it came, even as clips hinted at a project far different from the grainy, low budget VHS homage most anticipated. But in appearing to invoke 2000's era remakes like Black Christmas, My Bloody Valentine or even Rob Zombie's Halloween, Roth still goes old school, with his movie sharing similarities with both those titles and the originals that inspired them.

Aside from the unimpeachable classics any entry in this genre is judged against, horror constantly lifts ideas, themes and even specific shots from other works, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's what you do with it that matters, and longtime slasher fanatic Roth again goes to his grab bag of influences, incorporating a variety of different elements. Rather than break new ground, this instead accomplishes all that's needed by being a well made, ridiculously entertaining ride that cleverly mixes gore and humor.

In Plymouth, Massachusetts, a crowd of anxious, unruly shoppers are gathered outside RightMart for the annual Black Friday sale. But when they notice the store owner's daughter, Jessica (Nell Verlaque) her boyfriend Bobby (Jalen Thomas Brooks) and classmates Gaby (Addison Rae), Evan (Tomaso Sanelli), Scuba (Gabriel Davenport) and Yulia (Jenna Warren) sneak in early, the mob breaks through the doors. After trampling a security guard and rushing past Sheriff Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) and store manager Mitch (Ty Victor Olsson), a full blown riot breaks out, with tragic results. 

The next year RightMart callously prepares for another sale when a mysterious killer wearing a John Carver mask goes on a killing spree, targeting those responsible for the Black Friday massacre. As Jessica and the gang realize they're next, Bobby's sudden reappearance in town only complicates matters, with suspects and bodies continuing to pile up. Everyone's in danger of being picked off by Carver, who's in no mood for any leftovers this Thanksgiving.

Setting the bar high with a graphic, wickedly satirical opening sequence that terrifies in spots, Roth immediately makes his goal clear. It may not be the full-fledged throwback most expected, but the blueprint and execution of those retro slashers are prevalent, especially as rabid customers kill each other for discounted waffle irons, transforming this big box superstore into a human slaughterhouse. 

Jeff Rendall's script gets a lot out of the thrillingly staged RightMart catastrophe and its ramifications for everyone directly or indirectly involved, with only a tension filled parade scene and Carver's third act feast coming close to equaling it. That everyone truly is a suspect gives Carver more than enough opportunities to get creatively gruesome in ways that'll have viewers wincing in disgust and rolling with laughter. Roth also makes good use of social media as both a tracking device and an indictment on our obsession with going viral.

Nearly every character could be affixed a backstory or motivation that qualifies them as the murderous pilgrim in retrospect. But Roth does a better job than most playing that game and the enormous cast makes sense once you realize Carver needs enough heads at the table to host dinner. If there's a Final Girl, it's Jessica, played by relative newcomer Nell Verlaque, who makes for a likable, charismatic presence as the group member with the most guilt to bare. 

As Jessica's dad and store owner Thomas Wright, the great Rick Hoffman gives another masterclass in corporate sleaze, with Patrick Dempsey covering the same law enforcement territory he did in Scream 3, but faring even better. The rest of the cast deliver exactly what's called for, even if the real star is Carver himself, (voiced by Adam McDonald and physically portrayed by stuntman Adam Armbruster), who's very much patterned after iconic horror villains like Michael, Jason and Ghostface, complete with that memorably creepy mask.

A whodunnit horror plot loaded with suspects will always invite Scream comparisons, but if that franchise takes an entirely meta approach, Roth allows the content serve as its own self referential wink. And while it's easy to argue this doesn't exactly stand out from the pack, there's really little need. Thanksgiving is what a film like this should be, earning its inevitable sequel and a place alongside the seasonal slashers it pays homage to.