8 Chilling Films To Watch This Thanksgiving Weekend
Thanksgiving is almost here, friends. For many people, that means side dishes galore, uncomfortable conversations with extended family, and an extra day off work. For most horror fans, that means all of the above, plus a high probability of a seasonal movie marathon. Since planning a holiday watchlist can be murder, we are here with a few suggestions, along with a handful of titles curated from the DREAD library.
Read on for the full rundown of seasonal watchlist suggestions for the long weekend, dear reader. And enjoy your feast, if you have one planned.
Kristy
It’s somewhat ironic that one of the most iconic Thanksgiving horror films doesn’t even feature a Thanksgiving dinner spread. But that’s no reason to sleep on Kristy. The flick catches up with Justine (Haley Bennett), who makes the fateful decision to hang around her college campus over the Thanksgiving break. In doing so, she runs afoul of a group of malevolent miscreants with devious designs, making this a holiday weekend Justine won’t soon forget.
I love director Olly Blackburn’s use of a barren college campus as a backdrop for this chilling feature. The emptiness of the locale really drives home the point that Justine is a sitting duck and also provides a level of serene calm before the proverbial storm arrives.
The film is currently streaming on Tubi, Pluto, and Vudu for free (with ads). Sadly, the flick has yet to receive a stateside physical media release. With that said, it has been put out on DVD in foreign territories. So, anyone with an all-regions player can also check Kristy out that way.
Satanic Hispanics
This recent release from our DREAD label is sure to appeal to fans of anthology horror. Each of the vignettes featured within Satanic Hispanics is helmed by a different filmmaker. Mike Mendez, Demián Rugna, Eduardo Sánchez, Gigi Saul Guerrero, and Alejandro Brugués all take point directing one of the segments.
The wraparound story (helmed by Mendez) sees officers of the law arriving at a crime scene to find dead bodies everywhere. The only survivor, a man known as The Traveler (Efren Ramirez) tells a series of stories to the detectives and attempts to explain how he ended up in such a predicament.
Satanic Hispanics is now available on VOD.
Blood Rage
Next to Kristy, I count Blood Rage as my favorite Thanksgiving horror film. It’s not atmospheric or intense like Olly Blackburn’s tale of seasonal terror. But Blood Rage is campy, horny as hell, and frequently hilarious.
The flick follows twin brothers, Todd and Terry (Mark Soper). In their youth, Terry murdered a man at the drive-in and put the blame on Todd. Following that unfortunate ordeal, Todd is committed to an institution while the homicidal Terry remains free. When Todd escapes the institution, ten years later, that sets off a chain reaction that finds Terry picking up where he left off.
Blood Rage is available as a digital rental and on physical media.
The Jester
The Jester, based on the 2016 short of the same name, sees the titular character stalking a small town on Halloween. Sisters Emma (Lelia Symington) and Jocelyn (Delaney White) find themselves having to put their respective differences aside and come together in the hopes of surviving what is sure to be a violent evening.
This DREAD title was executive produced by Blair Witch Project director, Eduardo Sánchez and is sure to cure your post-Halloween blues with its seasonal energy.
You can catch the flick on all VOD platforms anytime or on physical media.
ThanksKilling
Anyone who appreciates the ridiculous is sure to find something to enjoy about this schlocky exercise in bad taste. And if you’re left craving more after checking out ThanksKilling, you can also scope the film’s threequel, ThanksKilling 3. There is no second installment because this franchise marches to the beat of its own drummer. This film clocks in at just 70 minutes, making it the perfect selection for anyone with a limited attention span.
ThanksKilling follows the violent exploits of a murderous turkey that goes on a killing spree during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The flick is streaming for free on multiple AVOD platforms as of the publication of this post.
Benny Loves You
This film actually graced my top ten list of 2021. It is funny, heartfelt, and serves up an antihero that I simply cannot get enough of in Benny.
Karl Holt wore so many hats to make this film possible. He wrote, directed, starred as the lead character, composed the music, and edited the film. All of his efforts paid off in a big way; simply put, Benny Loves You is an absolute delight. This lighthearted flick is sure to serve as a welcome distraction from your extended family over the long weekend.
The proceedings follow Jack (Holt), a toy designer with failure-to-launch syndrome. When his parents, whom he still lives with well into adulthood, are killed in an unfortunate accident, Jack must take stock of his life. He makes the fateful decision to throw out his toys, including a beloved plush called Benny. Doing so causes Benny to come to life, with the singular goal of eliminating anyone that gets in Jack’s way.
The film is available to stream on Tubi, Vudu, Prime, and Plex, as of the publication of this post.
Addams Family Values
Okay, it’s not a Thanksgiving film. But Addams Family Values features a great Thanksgiving play that unabashedly calls out the holiday’s violent, genocidal origins with a side of snark. And that’s more than enough reason for me to put this familiar favorite into rotation over the Thanksgiving holiday each year.
This macabre sequel sees Morticia and Gomez Addams (Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia) welcoming a new addition to the household. Threatened by the arrival of their baby sibling, Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) and Wednesday (Christina Ricci) do their best to eliminate the little bundle of joy.
You can find Addams Family Values on Paramount+ as of the publication of this pot.
For the Sake of Vicious
This rip-roaring action-horror hybrid is a love letter to B-movies. The film is sure to appeal to lovers of the exploitation cinema of yesteryear and may even serve as an accessible introduction to grindhouse filmmaking for the uninducted.
The storyline follows a nurse who comes home after work, only to find that a mysterious maniac with a hostage in tow is squatting in her home. That leads to an all-out battle for survival as a collection of ruffians ascend upon the domicile with deadly designs. Oh, did I mention the proceedings just so happen to be set on Halloween?
For the Sake of Vicious can be found on multiple AVOD outlets as of the publication of this post.
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