Halloween may have been almost a month ago now, but that isn’t stopping the horror community from getting even more holiday classics during a very generous 2023 for thrill-seekers. This year, Hollywood must have been feeling especially giving, considering the next big slasher released just last week. No, it’s not your typical Halloween frenzy — this time, our killer turns his head toward a time to spend with the family. There are no chickens allowed at director Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving feast.

Roth’s “Thanksgiving” released last Friday, Nov. 17. Clocking in at one hour 46 minutes, this adrenaline-pumping slasher feels like no more than half an hour of nonstop fun. Almost a year after a Black Friday massacre in a local department store, the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts is gearing up for a Thanksgiving with the potential to bring the town back to normal. Soon enough, however, local high school student Jessica (Nell Verlaque) and her friends (Addison Rae, Jenna Warren, Tomaso Sanelli and Gabriel Davenport) begin to notice the disappearance of some of the bystanders at the Black Friday massacre that occurred a year ago. Fearful for their own safety, the group begins to untangle the elaborate web of mysteries behind the Black Friday massacre — before an axe-wielding maniac donning a John Carver mask mutilates them with classic Thanksgiving appliances.

“Thanksgiving” is everything neo-slashers could and should be. Original, at times hilarious, entertaining and wholly terrifying — there’s not much to be said about what this movie is lacking.

There may only be one entry in this franchise as of yet, but Carver has already earned his spot in the horror hall of fame. There are some absolutely brutal kills in this one, and that is not to be taken lightly. In a year that saw the release of “Evil Dead: Rise,” let it speak to the gore of the movie that it’s hard to tell which of this year’s movies had the more disgusting repertoire. Roth doesn’t pull punches in this one, and the suspense is absolutely killer because of it. There are plenty of moments where you could cut the tension in the air with a knife due to the added fear of Carver’s methods, and plenty of audience members may find themselves looking behind their fingers at some point throughout the runtime.

Besides an iconic villain and a fistful of terror, slashers rely on their story and the charisma of their main characters to determine their success. “Thanksgiving” knows its role in both of these regards.

The story is basic but impressively original and new. The simplicity of the slasher formula lends itself well to the thematic elements that “Thanksgiving” is trying to convey. The autumnal imagery and Plymouth neighborhood felt incredibly in-touch, and as a viewer, it is incredibly refreshing to see something so simple done so well. The movie doesn’t get in its own way or trip over its own feet at all. It gives the reins to Carver and lets him do most of the heavy lifting — which is exactly what it needs to do. It never feels like it is too much or too little, but rather, a perfectly balanced Thanksgiving bloodbath.

Speaking of not tripping over its own feet, it’s time to talk about the acting. So many modern slasher films crumble under the unbearable weight of terrible acting, but “Thanksgiving” isn’t like others. The cast is absurdly charismatic, recruiting Patrick Dempsey to play the classic town cop character, and featuring some great young actors and actresses in the leading roles. Rick Hoffman plays the skeptical father and excels in his comic relief role, and the rest of the cast screams slasher. Rae deserves props for busting out her acting chops and making herself into an unexpected highlight of the cast and Verlaque succeeds in becoming a very charming and likable final girl. The archetypes are fitting.

Other than that, there is little to be said about the movie’s shortcomings. Some may want to avoid the extreme nature of the film, but that’s standard when it comes to slashers. This Thanksgiving, audiences everywhere were given something to truly be thankful for. As Dempsey put it — “This Thanksgiving, there will be no leftovers.”

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars