Produced by Eli Roth, the latest slasher film delivers on the 2000s horror film vibes.
Thanksgiving, the latest horror movie from director Eli Roth, is a bloody and terrifying take on the classic holiday that brought me back to the early 2000s slasher films. Starring Addison Rae and Patrick Dempsey, the film follows a group of teenagers who are hunted down by a mysterious killer after a Black Friday sale gets deadly.
The film is set in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the "birthplace" of Thanksgiving. On the eve of the holiday, a Black Friday riot turns deadly, and a year later, a masked killer begins to exact revenge on those who were responsible for the tragedy.
Now, let's talk about Addison Rae. When she gained popularity on social media, it sort of became a hobby for people to hate on Addison. I'm not sure why, because from the moment I saw the video of her asking fans for a moment to film a TikTok and then proceeding to record a dance in front of a hot dog cart, I knew she was iconic.
Earlier this fall, Addison Rae released her EP, "AR." The lead single, "Obsessed," precedes three other tracks: "I Got It Bad," "2 Die 4," and "Nothing On (But The Radio)." Her most popular song, which ignited a trend on TikTok, "2 Die 4," is a duet with Charli XCX. While the internet seemed ready to hate on Addison, the EP has, arguably, "saved pop music." But now, we see her in a different environment, nonetheless, still thriving.
Eli Roth's "Thanksgiving" is GOOD. Not in the sense that we expect it to dominate award season (although, that would be iconic), but in that it satisfies the craving left by 2000s slasher films. The movie has it all: a small town nestled in the Northeast, a group of popular teens who we all would have loathed in high school, and an anonymous killer with a creepy mask on the loose. Personally, I enjoyed the originality of the film's plot. We begin on Black Friday the year before, where a superstore readies itself to receive a horde of deranged shoppers. Not to spoil things, but rather swiftly, the scene turns deadly. Consequently, when a year passes and the superstore resolves to still open for Black Friday, a serial killer starts hunting down those involved in the tragic events from the previous year.
Addison's debut on Eli Roth's movie comes at the perfect time. There is no denying that the world is need of new Scream Queens, icons who can follow in the footsteps of Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts. With Addison's unique background as a social media influencer turned entrepreneur turned artist, it just makes sense that she sets her sights on the horror film scope.
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