Every year when the holidays roll around we are bombarded with an onslaught of films centered around these festivities. New romantic comedies keep love in the air for Valentine’s Day. Horror movies come out just in time to frighten you before Halloween. Christmas and other holiday films arrive to keep you cozy throughout the winter. But what about Thanksgiving?
Here’s how the film industry helps you prepare for when the leaves fall and the turkey comes out.
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (1973)
When it comes to classic Thanksgiving films, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” is at the top of the list. Like any “Peanuts” special, there is a certain nostalgia that comes when Charlie Brown and his friends like Snoopy, Linus and even Lucy all get together to celebrate the holidays. In this holiday special, despite Charlie Brown going to celebrate Thanksgiving with his grandmother, Peppermint Patty invites everyone to his house for the holidays. With no one to cook the dinner, Snoopy steps up as chef and makes his own Thanksgiving meal for everyone to enjoy.
Snoopy has become a popular character in social media recently with brands such as Target and American Eagle doing collaborations with “Peanuts” to feature the cartoon dog in their clothing. “Peanuts” theme parks such as Camp Snoopy, which is located at Knott’s Berry Farm, have recently gained a lot of attention on TikTok. So, if you’re looking to add a little more Snoopy into your life, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” available to stream on Apple TV or rent on Amazon, is a great place to start.
“Free Birds” (2013)
What if there was no Thanksgiving turkey? “Free Birds,” the 2013 animated film directed by Jimmy Hayward, tackles the concept with a pair of time traveling turkeys. After being the lucky turkey picked to be pardoned by the president, Reggie (Owen Wilson) is enjoying a carefree life, not worrying about Thanksgiving. That is until fellow turkey Jake (Woody Harrelson) convinces him to go back in time and stop the pilgrims from ever eating that first turkey, consequently saving all turkeys from their Thanksgiving fate. While strange in concept, Harrelson and Wilson are a hilarious duo for this fun-loving film. Available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime or Paramount+, this movie is great if you are looking for something the whole family can watch.
“Thanksgiving” (2023)
If you are one of those people still missing Halloween “Thanksgiving” is the film for you. This horror movie directed by Eli Roth became popular around the time of its release mainly because of the cast, which features popular actors such as Milo Manheim, Patrick Dempsy and Addison Rae. The film itself gives a much darker spin to the American holiday when a masked killer comes after the town of Plymouth, Mass, a year after the town’s Black Friday riot ended in tragedy. As Plymouth residents are picked off one-by-one, Jessica (Nell Verlaque) and her friends must find the killer before it’s too late. Warning, this film is not for the faint of heart. It's a great slasher to binge around the holiday if you’re a fan of the horror genre, but some of the killings can be so gruesome it might have you rethinking Thanksgiving dinner. If you are looking to take that risk, the movie is available to stream on Netflix.
“Turkey Drop” (2019)
Who says holiday rom coms can only be set in the wintertime? “Turkey Drop” tells the story of Lucy Jacobs (Olivia Holt) who returns home for Thanksgiving and, after suspecting her hometown boyfriend, Jordan (Tyler Perez) is about to dump her, decides to step out of her comfort zone and prove she is more adventurous and outgoing than he thought. But when things begin to heat up with Dean (Ben Levin), her brother’s longtime friend and the boy that used to tease her when they were kids, Lucy begins to realize she may deserve more than what Jordan has been giving her. This fun and romantic film is great to play in the background as you’re preparing for the Thanksgiving festivities or if you are looking for something light to sit down and watch. It’s an enemies-to-lovers trope set to a Thanksgiving backdrop that makes me believe that maybe Thanksgiving can be added to the list of romantic holidays. You can currently watch “Turkey Drop” on fuboTV or Sling TV.
