Released on Wednesday, November 29 in our theaters, “Thanksgiving” marks Eli Roth’s return to horror. With a film adapted from the fake trailer he signed in 2007. Sixteen years later, has this change of format convinced?
In 2007, there was the fake trailer intended for the intermission of the Grindhouse project, a tribute by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to the double-bills of exploitation cinemas. Sixteen years later, Eli Roth finally turned his Thanksgiving into a feature film. Bloody and prohibited for under 16s.
As in many slashers, it is about a teenager and her friends who, a year after being involved in a riot on Black Friday, are chased by a masked killer, determined to kill him. There are no remains or survivors. But what did the spectators think of this massacre game?
With an average of 3.1 out of 5, obtained thanks to the 67 people who rated it*, it is quite simply Eli Roth’s best feature film according to Internet users. Ahead of Hostel and its sequel, Cabin Fever and Green Inferno, his previous forays into the horrific register.
THEY LIKED
“We’re surprised, we’re in a pure slasher with a good, impactful cast”enthuses S Pbc (5 stars out of 5), about this “excellent return from the director of Hostel”. To the point of exclaiming that “Scream is exceeded”When Lil Sprite (4.5 out of 5) also highlights its effectiveness in this subgenre of horror cinema.
“It’s a slasher in the strictest sense of the word”writes this Internet user. “It’s cutting, it’s gory, it’s brutal, it’s scary. With the added bonus of a little critique on consumer society, social networks and a really nice cast.”
Fans of the genre will be won over, others will stay on the sidelines
“The film, although imperfect, is made by a horror film fan for horror film fans”he specifies, thus going in the direction of The Cinephile (3 out of 5): “Fans of the genre will be won over, others will stay on the sidelines”. He places himself in the first category and, as with almost everyone else, places the word “gore” in his review, also highlighting the humor of the film.
“Thanksgiving is a fun film that reconnects with the spirit of an era”presses on his side Fabien D (3.5 out of 5), one of those citing the astonishing opening scene, a riot in a store on Black Friday:
“A joyful massacre against a backdrop of criticism of consumer society, it suggests a rather delirious film that is more humorous than truly frightening.”
A start that even the detractors of Thanksgiving welcome. As nicotrash60 (2.5 out of 5), which admits that “this Black Friday which gets out of control and highlights the stupidity of a population is a little treat”. But turns out to be less of a customer otherwise.
THEY DID NOT LIKE
If the word “gore” comes up often, the scenario is regularly mentioned. But rarely for the better. Although very customer of the result, Lil Sprite said he didn’t “nothing revolutionary in itself but very generous in horror” and regrets that he is “a bit predictable”.
As Fabien D : “Certain murders are particularly successful and add flavor to the film, which nevertheless suffers from writing problems.”
Film without substance or interest. No plot and the final outcome is just rubbish
Despite its rating of 3.5 out of 5, Benjamin C there goes his “architectively seen scenario”while Raphael Genevet (1.5 out of 5) puts the first negative point as the fact that there is no “no originality”. And diverges from several Internet users by also criticizing “[la] mediocre staging, [la] mediocre ending, [des] ridiculous scenes.”
But no Raphael Soirat (0.5 out of 5) which talks about a “film without substance or interest. No plot and the final outcome is just rubbish.” Like the killer, he too gives no quarter.
IN SUMMARY
For many, Thanksgiving is a gory and funny horror film. Sometimes both at the same time, as in its opening scene, brutal and grating, which surprised more than one. According to Internet users, slasher fans will be over the moon and will even overlook the writing flaws.
Because the scenario (and, by extension, the originality of the whole) appears to be the big negative point of the feature film. Both in terms of the plot and the writing of the characters, which is rarely the main quality of slashers. And Thanksgiving is no exception.
And you ? What did you think of this Thanksgiving?
*Notes as of Thursday, November 30, 2023