Thanksgiving | 2023

Main Plot

Thanksgiving is a horror-comedy that unfolds in a small town during the Thanksgiving holiday. The story begins with a gruesome series of murders that occur during a festive celebration, as a masked killer takes advantage of the holiday spirit to unleash terror. The townspeople, initially caught up in the festivities, soon find themselves in a fight for survival as the body count rises. As the killer's motives become increasingly apparent, a group of survivors bands together to uncover the truth behind the madness. They must navigate a web of secrets and confront their own fears while trying to stop the relentless threat before it claims more victims. The film blends dark humor with slasher elements, creating a unique take on the holiday horror genre.

Characters

• Patrick Dempsey plays Griffin, a father navigating family dynamics and personal growth during a Thanksgiving gathering.
• Ty Olsson plays Will, a man who must protect his family from a home invasion during Thanksgiving.
• Gina Gershon plays Barbara, a mother whose family faces terror from a killer targeting their Thanksgiving celebration.

Ending Explained

In Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, the film’s climax sees the masked killer, revealed to be Sheriff Newlon, enacting his final act of vengeance against those he blames for the Black Friday tragedy. Jessica, the protagonist, manages to outwit Newlon during a tense showdown at the town’s Thanksgiving parade. As Newlon attempts to burn her alive in a symbolic act of retribution, Jessica turns the tables, setting the stage for his apparent demise in the ensuing fire. The authorities arrive, and Jessica is rescued, bringing a sense of closure to her ordeal and the terror that gripped the town. However, the film leaves the ending open to interpretation: Newlon’s body is not conclusively found, hinting at the possibility of his survival and leaving room for future threats. The surviving characters, traumatized but alive, are left to process the horrors they endured, while the town begins to recover from the violence. The final moments underscore lingering paranoia and the cyclical nature of vengeance, keeping the door open for further terror.