The 2007 film Grindhouse is a bit of an anomaly in the filmography of both Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. A vicious double-feature made as an homage to the era of exploitative filmmaking that rose to prominence in the '70s, Grindhouse was the original vessel for the films Planet Terror and Death Proof to be viewed. Between the two, a handful of trailers for fictional films would play out, each one being so over-the-top they'd probably never see the light of day as an actual movie — minus the ones that did.

Hobo With a Shotgun and Machete were turned into fully-fledged movies, with the latter of which spawning a sequel, Machete Kills. While Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright's shorts, Werewolf Women of the SS and Don't, respectively, haven't yet been expanded, the same cannot be said for Eli Roth's cult hit, Thanksgiving. Sixteen years after the fake trailer hit, it will not be arriving in theaters in just a few days.

It was a surprising development back when it was revealed that he would be adapting Thanksgiving, especially seeing as how Roth's recent theatrical films have deviated away from the horror genre like 2018's family film The House with a Clock in Its Walls or the 2021 documentary Fin. Yet fans are certainly happy to have him make a return to horror and here is what we hope to see.

Update November 8, 2023: This article has been updated

A Slasher Directed by Eli Roth

Roth is primarily known as a horror filmmaker, but notably, he has never done a traditional slasher movie. Cabin Fever was a horror comedy, while Hostel was clearly torture porn. The Green Inferno was a cannibal horror film and Knock Knock was more of an erotic thriller. Roth is a master of horror, so the idea of him finally doing a classic slasher film is just exciting.

It's a genre that Roth hasn't personally directed but he clearly has a knowledge of how they work, what makes them so compelling, and how to do them well. He even has an informative show, Eli Roth's History of Horror, where he and a variety of guests speak passionately about the horror genre. The slasher subgenre by itself has two entire episodes devoted to it. It will be interesting to see him tackle the subgenre personally, bringing with him the signature traits that accompany his films.

Adding onto this, one could argue that there's a scarcity of Thanksgiving-themed horror movies outside low-budget VOD outings and various independent films. Pilgrim and Thankskilling do a decent enough job at filling the void, but a high-profile director like Roth could hopefully inspire more creators to use the setting of family gatherings and turkey carving for their horror films.

More Dark Holiday Humor

There are several legitimately hilarious, if not stomach-churning, moments in the Thanksgiving trailer, from a pair of detectives having to taste blood to confirm that it is, blood, to multiple decapitations preceding attempts at intercourse. The monotonous, deathly serious repetition of the film's title in between kills only adds to the hilarity of the nonsensical setup. The killer even lops off the head of a turkey mascot in the middle of a giant Thanksgiving-themed parade. It's really hard to see that and not so much as smile at the sheer insanity of the situation.

Terrifier 2 and its announced Christmas-themed third sequel prove that there's still an audience for over-the-top slashers. Strangely enough, you could even argue that the success of Terrifier as a whole, with its gleeful violence and downright mean-spirited brutality, matches well with the kind of edgy humor and gruesome violence that Roth inserts into his work.

Even if you didn't enjoy Cabin Fever or The Green Inferno, there's an underlying humor in these films that paints a horrifically sinister world, a kind of cruelty that goes so far beyond reality that we can't help but uncomfortably chuckle at it. Thanksgiving being purposefully self-aware of this and capitalizing on it—especially in the newest trailer for the 2023 film—only promises more laughs.

More Holiday Haunts

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are three major holidays stacked back to back from one another. Ever since the release of Halloween back in 1978, the idea of holiday-themed horror movies has become a go-to. Christmas has plenty, from Silent Night, Deadly Night to Krampus. Even Halloween got a second major one with Trick 'r Treat. Yet Thanksgiving, apart from some low-budget films, has never gotten a big-budget holiday horror film.

Now, though, Thanksgiving looks to give its titular holiday the big horror movie treatment it deserves. Even if the movie is not that good, there is a good chance it will now enter year rotation viewings for many as a must-watch Thanksgiving classic. It can be viewed as a holiday-themed horror trilogy paired with an entry from the Halloween or Christmas horror catalog. Combine that with the sheer lack of Thanksgiving-themed movies, it puts this movie is a good position to be a hit for years to come.

A Surprise Standout Performance from Addison Rae

The casting of Addison Rae came as a shock to most people and was even met with some criticism. But, the TikTok dance star has been branching out from only doing social media for a good few years now. In the world of acting, she made her debut in the 2021 Netflix original He's All That, a new perspective on the 1999 smash hit She's All That. This was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, and when they weren't panning the poor writing, reviewers took issue with Addison's lack of experience when it comes to acting.

With her first and only film being received so badly, it was only natural for people to be skeptical as to why she was brought on to join the cast. That said, she likely has more training now, and we hope to see a transformation in Addison Rae's on-camera skills. A horror film is a much better chance for a performer to show their range, and here in Thanksgiving, she can rebrand herself as a new Scream Queen. Everyone loves a redemption story.

An Addition to Horror's Hot Streak

Horror has always been one of the most reliable genres at the box office, and there has certainly been a new wave in horror in the past few years that has received both positive reviews from critics and become box office hits. While other genres like comedy, drama, and now even superhero movies have struggled, horror films like Smile, Scream VI, and Evil Dead Rise have shown the genre's reliability.

Even if Thanksgiving does not get positive reviews, and looking at Roth's previous films, there is a chance critics might not click with it, the movie could turn out to be a major box office hit. Tracking for films like The Marvels and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has been below normal, so with the thought of a potential drop in box office, a horror film like Thanksgiving could be the boost the holiday season needs. Just because Halloween is over does not mean that audiences don't want a good scary movie.

More Grindhouse Filmmaking in the Industry

The fake trailer for Thanksgiving was initially released in 2007, now more than fifteen years ago. In that time span, we've seen Brawl in Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete, Black Dynamite, both Crank films and Spring Breakers all hit the big screen in some form or another, all either directly aping or being inspired by the very same films that inspired Thanksgiving.

The thick film grain, saturated colors, and muted voice performances of the original Thanksgiving trailer also lend it a visceral unpleasantness. A lot of what makes horror work, to begin with, isn't necessarily what you see but the implication of what you're seeing: the low-quality film masking the imperfections of gory makeup and making everything else look washed out gives Thanksgiving a legitimately perturbing look, only alleviated by the parodic context of the trailer itself.

The film landscape is far different now compared to where it was during the release of Grindhouse. Films like Hobo With a Shotgun, and consequently Thanksgiving, can now find a home on streaming with few if any stipulations, the director of Hobo With a Shotgun ought to know, considering his newest film, Kids vs Aliens, was released on Shudder as one of their exclusive films.

Thanksgiving opens in theaters on November 17, 2023.