Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving approaches its horror material with more interest in character than a quick synopsis might suggest. Directed by Eli Roth, it leans on Patrick Dempsey and Ty Olsson to give the material a human centre. The spoiler light setup draws Black Friday, Thanksgiving inspired and Plymouth into the same story, creating a specific hook without requiring a long recap. The film's first job is to make that setup feel worth following, and it establishes the necessary stakes efficiently.

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The strongest scenes build dread patiently and let the setting do part of the work. Sound, shadow and performance combine to create tension, giving the film a mood that survives even when an individual scare is familiar. The ingredients are appealing, but the balance is inconsistent. Energy and character come through in bursts, followed by stretches that feel overextended or underdeveloped. It is engaging enough in the moment, though less persuasive when considered as a complete piece.

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Patrick Dempsey and Ty Olsson carry much of the emotional responsibility, and their different approaches keep the central relationship from becoming one note. Gina Gershon makes a strong impression without pulling focus from the main line. Eli Roth's direction gives reactions time to register, which is important in a film where a look or hesitation can communicate more efficiently than another explanatory exchange.

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Thematically, Thanksgiving is interested in fear as a response to lost control, isolation and the suspicion that familiar spaces can no longer be trusted. The scares carry more weight when they grow from those pressures, turning atmosphere into an extension of character rather than a separate attraction. The film is most persuasive when these ideas emerge from behaviour rather than speeches. That additional layer gives the story more purpose than a sequence of familiar genre beats, even if every implication is not explored with equal depth.

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Technical restraint serves the film well. The camera observes details that may or may not matter, the soundtrack leaves useful pockets of silence, and the pacing allows uncertainty to accumulate. When the craft becomes too visible the tension weakens, but the stronger passages understand that anticipation depends on what remains outside the frame as much as what appears within it.

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The main problem is that the film keeps signalling effects it has not fully earned. Emotional turns arrive before the relationships have enough texture, while the pacing alternates between hurry and drift. The result is watchable, but frustratingly close to being better.

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I wanted Thanksgiving to come together more decisively. Its better moments make it worth considering for horror viewers who value mood, tension and committed performances over nonstop jump scares, but the weaknesses prevent a wholehearted recommendation.