Spoiler-Free Review of “Thanksgiving” in Theaters: A Delicious, Blood-Soaked Delight!

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“There will be no leftovers…”

Thanksgiving released in theaters on November 17th 2023. The slasher-horror film (directed by Eli Roth) stars Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Rick Hoffman, Milo Manheim, and Gina Gershon. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-six minutes.

A year after a horrific tragedy on Black Friday, a masked killer begins to pick off those responsible one by one, leading up to a deadly feast.

Here is the trailer:

Thanksgiving successfully channels 90’s slashers to breathe new life into the genre, supplying us with plenty of fantastic chase scenes and gory kills. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Channels 90’s slashers in the best way possible!

I absolutely loved this aspect of the movie. It recognized the perfection of this era and borrowed from it in a clever and satisfying way. So many moments reminded me of films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it wasn’t overdone. Thanksgiving still managed to find its own identity in the process, hopefully carving the way for more slashers to come.

Images courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Gore galore!

OK, so first off…that opening scene was jaw-dropping! But the gore didn’t stop there. Each kill was inventive, entertaining, and filled to the brim with seat-squirming moments. If extreme gore isn’t for you, I’d stay clear, but for those of you who can’t get enough of it, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Predictable here and there…

This didn’t take away from the entertaining moments, but perhaps a little too much was revealed in the trailers. That being said, I still loved every second of it. I guess I just wanted a few unpredictable twists thrown in for good measure…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of TriStar Pictures

I’m in 100 percent!!!

A clever, entertaining slasher that delivers and then some!

Slashers are DOMINATING cinema right now and I’m absolutely loving it. More please!

I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on Thanksgiving in the comments section!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…

After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.

Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…

My young adult revenge thriller comes out November 30th 2023! I hope you enjoy!

Make it Through the Night is available here!

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Ranking my top 5 Thanksgiving TV Episodes: “It’s a Ritual Sacrifice with Pie”

Greetings TV Fans!  Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it’s important to take a moment to think about what we are truly thankful for.  It’s a time to share with family and friends and to put that pesky diet aside to make room for some pumpkin pie.

For today, I am going to be ranking my absolute favorite Thanksgiving television episodes.  While there is a lot more material out there for Halloween and Christmas episodes, one should not discount some quality Thanksgiving programming.

So grab some more food and make room for some Thanksgiving TV fun!  Please note that some spoilers are ahead. 

My top 5 Thanksgiving TV episodes are:

5

“Modern Family” Three Turkeys (TV Episode 2014)

Three turkeys collage

Modern Family does a fantastic job with holiday episodes.  While the Valentine’s Day and Halloween ones take the cake for me, “Three Turkeys” is absolutely hilarious.  During the episode, Phil and Luke work on the turkey together, but Claire worries that Phil may mess it up and has a back-up one ready to go.

Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria are supposed to go away, but end up staying; only they want to just have a nice and quiet Thanksgiving at home.  This doesn’t go exactly according to plan when Phil shows up to use their oven and the chaos continues, as the turkeys continue to multiply.  This is a great episode to watch with family and friends!

4

“Beverly Hills, 90210” The Kindness of Strangers (TV Episode 1992)

Beverly hills thanksgiving collage

While Thanksgiving is a time for family to come together, it is also a time to give as well.  Brandon crosses paths with a homeless man named Jack, who he previously tried to help over the summer.  Brandon could have just gone on his way, but he decides to bring him home for Thanksgiving dinner.

While Brandon’s father is not at all pleased initially, Jack proves to be worthy and is extremely grateful to be given a chance to spend this holiday with a warm meal and wonderful people.  Brandon always tries to do the right thing, but he really shines here.  This episode is heartwarming and really captures the essence of giving.

3

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Pangs (TV Episode 1999)

Buffy thanksgiving collage

So what do you do when you encounter the spirit of a Native American warrior who is looking to take his revenge out just before Thanksgiving dinner?  Well I guess you give Buffy Summers a call.  This episode is jam-packed with action and comedy.  Angel makes a special guest appearance, only he doesn’t inform Buffy that he is there to protect her from a great evil.

What makes this episode stand out is that Buffy is really trying to make her Thanksgiving dinner a success.  While the Scoobies try to figure out a way to stop the spirit of the warrior, Buffy insists on keeping her dinner going no matter what because you know, “It’s a Yam Sham.”

Spike even gets a seat at the table, only he is tied to a chair, which makes this episode even funnier.  If you need a break from the stress of preparing dinner, this is the episode to watch.

2

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” The Gang Squashes Their Beefs (TV Episode 2013)

Sunny thanksgiving collage

After running into the McPoyle brothers at the video store, the gang begins to realize that they need to bury the hatchet and wipe the slate clean with a lot of people…literally.  The gang invites over everyone they have wronged for Thanksgiving dinner and Dennis tries to sort of apologize, but really wants them to sign a treaty so that they no longer feel guilty.  Dennis does love his documentation.

This episode is absolutely hilarious and leads to a food fight that you may have only dreamed about at one of your own Thanksgiving dinners.  After Mac’s room is set on fire, the gang does the only right thing in this situation…they lock their guests inside the apartment and make a run for it.  This episode is laugh out loud funny and is definitely worth a second watch.

1

“South Park” Helen Keller!  The Musical (TV Episode 2000)

Gobbles collage

It should be no surprise that my favorite Thanksgiving TV episode is from South Park.  This episode is beyond hilarious and I have probably watched it every single Thanksgiving.  During the episode, the kids are putting on an interesting musical for Thanksgiving, but Timmy and his untalented turkey named Gobbles steal the show.

It may sound ridiculous, but you will end up rooting for this poor turkey and cheering for him when he finally goes through the hoop of fire.  “Gobbles!”  Now that’s an impressive finale!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to share some of your own thoughts and comments on your favorite Thanksgiving TV episodes. 

**I just want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for being so wonderful and supportive.  I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones!  Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing! 

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

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