Napoleon review

NAPOLEON: 

JOAQAUIN PHOENIX AND RIDLEY SCOTT’S EPIC ALBEIT NARRATIVELY DISJOINTED 23-YEAR REUNION! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES AND APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

Joaquin Phoenix in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon

 

            Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, The Last Duel) and Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Her, Joker) have reunited for the first time since 2000’s Gladiator in Napoleon, Scott’s latest historical epic based on the story of Napoleon Bonaparte and his rise to power in the 1700s-1800s. Like Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon the month prior, the film was given a theatrical release and will premiere on Apple TV+ at a later date. 

            Ridley Scott is always an exciting and fascinating filmmaker even if not all of his movies were gold. For every Alien, Blade Runner, and The Martian there’s a Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut of that movie is way better!), and House of Gucci, but that doesn’t exactly mean his misfires are all bad. 

            I actually enjoyed his Robin Hood movie from 2010 quite a bit, The Counselor is one of his most underrated films IMO, and despite its flaws, I thought House of Gucci was an entertaining watch when I saw it. Because I’m an avid supporter of Scott as a filmmaker even when his movies don’t quite stick the landing, I was excited when Napoleon was announced as his next film after The Last Duel.

            After much anticipation, I can say that Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is…good! Not great, but still a well-crafted historical epic with a lot of admirable elements and the flaws don’t ruin the experience. 

            The film is set during the French Revolution and chronicles the life of army officer turned leader turned emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte (Phoenix) and his rise to power and inevitable fall from grace. The movie also focuses heavily on his addictive, volatile romantic life with Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby-The Crown, Mission: Impossible franchise, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) thus showing that the man was powerful both on the battlefield and in bed. 

            The film also stars Tahar Rahim (The Eagle, The Mauritanian, Madame Web) as Paul Barras, Ben Miles (V for Vendetta, The Crown, Tetris) as Caulaincourt, Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool, Peter Pan (2003), Lupin) as Thérésa Cabarrus/Madame Tallien, Matthew Needham (Casualty, Endeavor, House of the Dragon) as Lucien Bonaparte, John Hollingworth (The Dark Knight Rises, Transformers: The Last Knight, 1917) as Marshal Ney, Youssef Kerkour (Close, Ron’s Gone Wrong, House of Gucci) as Marshal Davout, Sinéad Cusack (Stealing Beauty, V for Vendetta, Eastern Promises) as Letizia Bonaparte, Phil Cornwell (Blood, Churchill: The Hollywood Years, Made in Dagenham) as Sanson “The Bourreau”, Ian McNeice (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, A Christmas Carol (1999), Foundation) as King Louis XVIII, Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Importance of Being Earnest, Shrek franchise) as Arthur Wellesley, Paul Rhys (Chaplin, From Hell, Saltburn) as Talleyrand, Catherine Walker (The Clinic, Versailles, House of Gucci) as Marie Antoinette, Mark Bonnar (Casualty, Shetland, The Kid Who Would Be King) as Jean-Andoche Junot, Davide Tucci (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Barbarians) as Lazare Hoche, Sam Crane (The Crown, Desperate Romantics) as Jacques-Louis David, and Abubakar Salim (Jamestown, Raised by Wolves, House of the Dragon) as General Dumas. 

            Overall, Napoleon may not be one of Ridley Scott’s best historical epics as it does have some narrative issues and tonal inconsistences, but the battle sequences are incredible, and Scott’s large-scale direction make it worth experiencing on the big screen. Ridley Scott knows how to make a spectacle in terms of staging, editing, camera work, and effects and Napoleon is no exception with some of the most exhilarating and downright horrific battle scenes I’ve seen from him in a long time, the sequence on the ice in particular being one where I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. 

            The film is also well-acted, despite not doing a French accent Joaquin Phoenix gives a fascinating performance as Napoleon that at times does echo his anarchic Joker performance from 2019 except way more insecure and volatile. Phoenix’s performance brings out the flawed man within this talented military tactician turned emperor, he was great even though it mostly felt like Napoleon became Joaquin Phoenix rather than the other way around. 

            Vanessa Kirby is also a huge standout as his wife, Empress Joséphine who has a very interesting romantic dynamic with Phoenix’s Napoleon as it is a volatile and often unhealthy relationship with a lot of control and for a lack of better word, horniness. I’ve already seen her in things like the recent Mission: Impossible films and Hobbs & Shawand I have to say, this might be the best I’ve ever seen Vanessa Kirby because when she’s on in this movie she is freaking on with one of her best scenes being when she’s reciting dialogue that Napoleon said to her earlier to him and he is sobbing as she’s saying it, the fact that she is acting opposite Joaquin Phoenix in a Ridley Scott epic with tons of characters and battles and she is one of the most memorable things in it is really impressive.

            There are some aspects of the film I have mixed thoughts on, particularly the tone in certain scenes. The movie was marketed as a gritty and dramatic historical epic and while that aspect is very much intact, there are a number of scenes that are also very comedic and played for laughs and while some of them were genuinely funny, others felt a little out of place and maybe slightly going overboard. 

            This is also a 2 ½-hour long movie which certainly isn’t super long compared to other movies released this year, but some events from the story felt rushed or underdeveloped that might have been further elaborated on if it was a 3-hour movie. Maybe if Ridley Scott has a director’s cut planned at some point, these moments will be better paced, but as is these narrative flaws didn’t ruin the movie for me despite being noticeable.

            Napoleon is a gritty spectacle of a historical epic with thrilling battles, strong performances, larger-than-life production design that bring out the size and scope, and a flawed but interesting story. It isn’t among Scott’s best work, but that doesn’t necessarily make it bad either. 

May December review

MAY DECEMBER: 

TODD HAYNES CRAFTS A SEDUCTIVE AND RIVETING LOOK AT THE HORRIFIC EFFECTS OF ABUSE AND MANIPULATION! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

NETFLIX

Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in May December

 

            An actress travels to Georgia to meet and study the life of a controversial woman she is set to play in a film in May December, the new film from Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Carol, Dark Waters) currently in a limited theatrical release and will land on Netflix next month. The film is loosely based on the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a sex offender who was charged with second-degree rape of a child whom she eventually married and remained married with for 14 years, I didn’t even know the film was inspired by those events until I got home. 

            Because of that, I didn’t get to look into all the key details about what really happened and only skimmed information about the person. I don’t know how accurate the film is but given that it’s only loosely based on the events, it probably doesn’t matter much. 

            All I have to say is, Wow! This is a remarkable and often unpredictable outing from Todd Haynes that exceeded my expectations in just about every way. 

            The film follows Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman-Black Swan, Thor franchise, Jackie), an actress who travels to Georgia to meet and study the life of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore-The Kids Are All Right, Crazy Stupid Love, Still Alice) before portraying her in a movie. The tabloid that covered Gracie’s controversial romance with her 23 years her junior husband Joe (Charles Melton-Riverdale, The Sun Is Also a Star, Bad Boys for Life) shocked the nation and now 20 years later, a movie is being made based on it. 

            As Elizabeth starts to spend time with them and their kids, Joe begins to confront the reality of life as an empty-nester at age 36 with their children’s high school graduation underway and the similarities and differences between Elizabeth and Gracie start to become clear. 

            The film also stars Cory Michael Smith (Gotham, Carol, First Man) as George Atherton, D.W. Moffett (Falling Down, Traffic, Thirteen) as Tom Atherton, Piper Curda (The Flash, The Wretched, Back on the Strip) as Honor Atherton-Yoo, and Elizabeth Yu (Somewhere in Queens, Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)) as Mary Atherton-Yoo. 

            Overall, May December is a bold and relevant cinematic experience that effectively crafts a mesmerizing erotic thriller-drama out of its unsettling fact-based subject matter. Even though the movie is based on real-life events, it constantly keeps the audience guessing of what’s going to happen by the end of it, where the story is going, and even what the characters’ motivations are. 

            Natalie Portman’s Elizabeth’s motivations aren’t very clear and you’re asking if she genuinely is interested in Gracie’s story or simply trying to exploit real trauma and show Gracie as the monster that she is. I think the film is very clever about leaving all of this mostly vague and up to the audience to piece together or interpret. 

            Despite Julianne Moore’s Gracie’s good-natured exterior, you do see how manipulative she truly is as the film goes on like when she’s in control of what her kids should wear or paints herself as the true victim throughout all of this and tries to project herself as a misunderstood woman who simply made a mistake in her life to the public. 

            What especially helps with conveying these heavy themes and ideas are the film’s phenomenal performances, both Portman and Moore give amazing performances and have incredible chemistry together that I’m sure will lead to Oscar nominations (Perhaps even wins). However, the performance that really surprised me was Charles Melton as Joe who is absolutely remarkable as this man who was clearly abused and manipulated at a young age and is struggling with the after-effects of where his life has led him, a decades-long married life with his abuser and is now realizing the repercussions that came with it. 

            Melton is the one who brings the heartbreak and humanity to the film, and you want to see him come out of the situation unscathed and with his dignity. Portman and Moore were great, but Melton deserves Oscar attention this year because damn! 

            May December is the kind of film where you think it’s going to go one direction, but then it throws you for a loop and takes a completely different route with more shocks and surprises. Add on top the brilliant performances by the cast and a risky and timely story and you got yourself an experience you’ll never forget whether you’re in a theater or streaming it on Netflix. 

Wish review

WISH: 

DISNEY’S 100^TH ANNIVERSARY MILESTONE COULD HAVE USED MORE MAGIC! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

DISNEY

Asha and Valentino in Disney’s Wish

 

            Disney celebrates 100 years of magic with Wish, the latest animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios and directed by Chris Buck (Tarzan, Surf’s Up, Frozen 1 and 2) and Disney story artist Fawn Veerasunthorn (Frozen, Zootopia, Raya and the Last Dragon) in her directorial debut. It’s no secret that Disney’s been on a rather bumpy roller coaster lately with some of their recent movies (both animated and live-action) not quite winning over as many audiences as they used to with very hit-or-miss qualities. 

            After last year’s Strange World failed to find much of an audience, Disney went back to what they always did best, the fairytale story with a twist and that’s where Wish comes in. The movie looked interesting when I first saw the trailer, I thought it had a very unique animation and art style that blends CG animation with traditional hand-drawn animation, and I thought the concept had a lot of potential while the story seemed like another Disney animated fairytale. 

            However, I was ready for the movie to surprise me as what films like The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Frozen did when I saw those for the first time. Turns out me initially thinking it looked like a run-of-the-mill Disneyfilm was warranted because this is one of the most average Disney movies I’ve seen in a long time. 

            It’s not one of Disney’s worst animated films nor do I even think it’s bad, but compared to their other films that pushed the envelope of the classic Disney formula, I found it to be really lacking and to put it bluntly, forgettable. Still better than Home on the Range and Chicken Little, I guess. 

            The film follows Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose-Hamilton, The Prom, West Side Story (2021)), a sharp-witted young girl who makes a wish upon a star so powerful that it’s answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy known as Star (Who looks just like a Luma from Super Mario Bros.). Together, Asha, Star, and a talking goat named Valentino (voiced by Alan Tudyk-Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) confront a formidable foe in the form of the sorcerer ruler of Rosas named King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine-Star Trek franchise, Wonder Woman 1 and 2, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) to save her home and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wonderous things will happen. 

            The film also features the voices of Angelique Cabral (Friends with Benefits, Enlisted, Life in Pieces) as Queen Amaya, Victor Garber (Titanic, Argo, Sicario) as Sabino, Natasha Rothwell (Love, Simon, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2,Wonka) as Sakina, Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows, Blue Beetle, The Garfield Movie) as Gabo, Evan Peters (Kick-Ass, X-Men franchise, WandaVision) as Simon, Ramy Youssef (See Dad Run, Mr. Robot, Poor Things) as Safi, and Jon Rudnitsky (Home Again, Set It Up, Nobody’s Fool) as Dario. 

            Overall, Wish is a fine animated feature for kids and families to watch over the holiday season, but for a film that’s supposed to culminate 100 years of Disney magic, it leaves a lot to be desired. There are things about it that work, the storybook-like animation as mentioned before is beautiful to look at, the film even opens up like a classic Disneyfilm with a storybook in the beginning, the premise revolving around the origins of the wishing star is clever, and some of the musical numbers are fun and full of energy. 

            But for every idea that works, the film feels the need to contrast it with tired Disney clichés or narrative elements used in other Disney films with little variety. Talking animal sidekick, check, comic relief song sequence (In this film’s case, there’s 2 and neither one of them is memorable), and some of the most forced Disney references I’ve ever seen, if you want a textbook example of how NOT to reference Disney movies in a Disney movie, listen to Magnifico’s dialogue when he becomes consumed with dark magic. 

            Again, I can’t say this is a bad movie, but I think what rubs me the wrong way is that it’s supposed to be the movie that celebrates Disney’s 100^th Anniversary and the film itself just isn’t that special. The plot is structured like any other Disney fairytale story with a lot of the same plot points as others, mostly forgettable songs with a few exceptions, and characters that leave very little impression. 

            Asha is the typical dreamer who is sometimes a little quirky and has a good heart which is fine, and King Magnifico does have some enjoyable moments as this power-hungry and egocentric ruler almost like if Gaston had the powers of Maleficent (He also has the best song in the movie). But the side characters, I don’t remember anything about them not even most of their names or what their personalities were. 

            Compare this to movies like Tangled or Frozen, you remember just about every character from those movies even if they only have a bit role. I remember the two thief brothers and the assortment of goons in the pub from Tangledor the shop owner and Duke of Weasel-Town (Excuse me, Weselton!) from Frozen because they’re all unique and leave a lasting impression after you watch it, can’t say the same for Asha’s family and friends sadly. 

            Wish is a visually impressive, but narratively thin Disney outing that’s perfectly inoffensive and fine for kids and families to go see. But compared to the countless other animated Disney films from the studio’s 100 years that are far superior in terms of storytelling and characters, it just makes you wish you were watching one of those instead…I didn’t mean to do that just now! 

Next Goal Wins review

NEXT GOAL WINS: 

A WELL-INTENTIONED BUT CLUMSY SPORTS COMEDY-DRAMA FROM TAIKA WAITITI! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** out of 4

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

One of the worst football teams in the world is about to show them what they’re made of in Next Goal Wins

 

            A Dutch American football (soccer) coach leads one of the worst teams of all time to victory in Next Goal Wins, the new film from Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) based on the true story of Thomas Rongen and the American Samoa national football team. I’m no expert on the real-life events the film was based on, so I won’t be able to determine how accurate the movie is to what actually happened. 

            I went into it as an admirer of Taika Waititi’s work, Thor: Love and Thunder notwithstanding. With the exception of that, I loved just about every movie he made from What We Do in the Shadows to Jojo Rabbit, so I was looking forward to seeing his next film…that didn’t involve turning the God of Thunder into a complete joke. 

            Well, I can say that after much anticipation, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins is…a huge disappointment. The film is well-intentioned, and its heart is in the right place, but the inconsistent tone, awkward humor, and overall clumsy execution keep it from reaching its goal. 

            The film follows Dutch American football coach, Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender-X-Men franchise, 12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs) given the option of being fired due to his angry outbursts or to accept an almost impossible task of converting the American Samoa national team, often considered one of the worst teams of all time into an elite squad. Through overcoming several roadblocks along the way and the courage of a fearless transgender player, Jaiyah Saelua (Newcomer, Kaimana), Thomas will transform this team of losers into champions and go for the gold at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

            The film also stars Oscar Kightley-Slone’s Wedding, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Moana) as Tavita, David Fane (Tongan Ninja, The Legend of Johnny Lingo, Eagle VS Shark) as Ace, Rachel House (Whale Rider, Moana, Soul) as Ruth, Beulah Koale (One Thousand Ropes, Thank You for Your Service, Hawaii Five-0) as Daru Taumua, Will Arnett (Arrested Development, Blades of Glory, The Lego Movie franchise) as Alex Magnussen, Elisabeth Moss (Girl, Interrupted, Us, The Invisible Man (2020)) as Gail, Uli Latukefu (Marco Polo, Alien: Covenant, Black Adam) as Nicky Salapu, Rhys Darby (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jumanji 2 and 3) as Rhys Marlin, Angus Sampson (Insidious franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road, Mortal Kombat (2021)) as Angus Bendleton, Luke Hemsworth (Neighbours, Westworld, Thor 3 and 4) as Keith, Kaitlyn Dever (The Spectacular Now, Short Term 12, Booksmart) as Nicole, Frankie Adams (Shortland Streets, The Expanse, Mortal Engines) as Frangipani, and Waititi as the film’s narrator and an American-Samoan priest. 

            Overall, Next Goal Wins has its moments and for the most part the cast does an admirable job with the material given to them, but the film itself feels very confused in what it’s trying to be. It has a very comedic tone with a lot of jokes and humor, but other times it seems like it’s trying to be important and mean something to the point where it loses focus and doesn’t really succeed at being funny or inspiring.

            Some of the humor I found genuinely funny, I didn’t bust a gut at any of it, but I got a few laughs every now and then. There were a lot of misses though, they weren’t bad Happy Madison movie level or anything like that, but a lot of the jokes were very awkward, could have been timed much better, or just flat-out distracting from the main story (They reference the particular set of skills monologue from Taken and rehash the speech from Any Given Sunday). 

            I feel like this movie was trying to do what films like Cool Runnings or Bend it Like Beckham did without fully understanding why those movies worked. Because you actually got to know the players and their storylines which made them more relatable, and you connected with those characters. 

            Aside from the transgender player, nobody on the team really stands out and there’s barely enough time devoted to them which was a serious miscalculation on Waititi’s part. If you want us to be invested and moved by a sports biopic (or sports movie in general), have us care about the players on the team and what they’re going through. 

            The only scene I thought was very heartfelt and effective throughout the film was this pep talk between the coach and the transgender player in the bathroom. It was a touching little moment that could almost have saved the movie if the rest of the film had more scenes like this. 

            Despite its confused execution, the performances are solid, Michael Fassbender has already proven himself to be a strong leading man and he is giving his all here. Kaimana is a huge standout as Jaiyah who’s pretty much the emotional highlight of the film, hopefully she’ll go on to star in other projects. 

            Next Goal Wins had good intentions and it seemed like the cast and crew enjoyed working on it, unfortunately it turned out an underwhelming and inconsistent sports movie that tries to throw everything at the screen, but very little of it sticks. It’s hard to be angry at a film like this as it came from a good place, but that doesn’t make the finished project good. 

Thanksgiving review

THANKSGIVING: 

ELI ROTH COOKS UP A DELICIOUS MEAL OF TURKEY, STUFFING, AND GORE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

TRISTAR PICTURES

There Will Be No Leftovers in Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving

 

            A mysterious killer wearing a pilgrim mask is on the loose on Thanksgiving Day in…Thanksgiving, the new film from Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel 1 and 2, The Green Inferno) based on a fake trailer from the 2007 Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino joint, Grindhouse. This is the fourth film based on a fake Grindhouse trailer to actually get a real movie after both Machete films from Robert Rodriguez and Jason Eisener’s Hobo with a Shotgun. 

            What a time we live in where movies that started off as joke trailers in another movie are now becoming legit, it’s only a matter of time before Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown, The Fatties: Fart 2, and Satan’s Alley from Tropic Thunder are coming soon to a theater near you. Anyway, I was onboard for Thanksgiving when I saw the trailer and thought it could be a really fun slasher movie that delivers the gore, but probably won’t take itself seriously either. 

            I’m no expert on Eli Roth as I’ve only seen a handful of his films and his work can be hit-or-miss at times. With this, he goes full-force and delivers a wildly entertaining Thanksgiving-themed slasher movie, I was surprised at just how much fun I had in the theater watching it. 

            After a brutal Black Friday massacre, the previous year that puts the one from South Park to shame, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer emerges and terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts (The birthplace of the holiday). Picking off residents one by one, what begins as random revenge killings are soon revealed to be part of a much more sinister holiday plan with one specific group of teenagers at the center of it all. 

            It becomes a fight for survival as the teens and police sheriff, Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey-Grey’s Anatomy,Enchanted 1 and 2, Ferrari) try to uncover who the Thanksgiving killer is before they become guests at his dinner table. 

            The film also stars Addison Rae (He’s All That) as Gabby, Jalen Thomas Brooks (Rebel, Animal Kingdom,Walker) as Bobby, Milo Manheim (Zombies trilogy, Prom Pact, Journey to Bethlehem) as Ryan, Rick Hoffman (Jake in Progress, Samantha Who?, Suits) as Thomas Wright, Gina Gershon (Bound, Killer Joe, Blockers) as Amanda Collins, Karen Cliche (Heist, Flash Gordon (2007), Saw VI) as Kathleen, Jeff Teravainen (12 Monkeys, The Christmas Chronicles, Utopia Falls) as Deputy Bret Labelle, Ty Olsson (X2: X-Men United, Supernatural, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as Mitch Collins, Tim Dillon (Above Average Presents) as Manny, and Amanda Barker (88, Odd Squad, The Handmaid’s Tale) as Lizzie. 

            Overall, Thanksgiving is a delightfully bloody feast of gory kills and twisted humor that could easily become a new holiday horror classic among the likes of Halloween, Black Christmas, and My Bloody Valentine. Lots of creatively brutal kills mixed with tongue-in-cheek humor and even some moments of intelligence. 

            The fact that the film’s events were caused in the aftermath of a gruesome Black Friday incident from the year prior reminiscent of a zombie attack I thought was an ingenious setup for the plot. I’ve never witnessed Black Friday riots in-person, but I’ve seen footage of them, and they really do bring out the worst in people so having that be the motivation behind this Thanksgiving killer was a bold decision and audiences can connect it to real life minus the killer with the pilgrim mask. 

            The kills in the movie are extremely gory and over-the-top to the point where some of them are so absurd they’re comical. You’ll have characters get stabbed by electric carvers and they’re heads sliced off with a wire, heads smashed open with a meat tenderizer, disemboweled with a buzzsaw, roasted alive in an oven, a dinner scene that almost rivals the one from the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and one involving a freezer door, a car, and a dumpster (The freezer door bit shown in both this, and the trailers actually made me wince every time I saw it), many of these are gruesome, but I never felt disturbed while watching them as crazy deaths is part of the fun. 

            The film is essentially a throwback to 90s slasher films, so the characters aren’t exactly something to write home about. They either range from fine, obnoxious, or just there to die though the lead girl protagonist does have the most depth (Even if it isn’t much) so I at least kind of cared about her. 

            Much like Michael Dougherty’s holiday-themed horror films, the production-design embraces the feeling of the Thanksgiving season especially during a sequence involving a Thanksgiving Day parade. Aside from that, all the houses and businesses have Thanksgiving decorations up, snow is on the ground, and there’s some appealing fall colors during the film so even though it is very different and unconventional from usual Thanksgiving fare, it still celebrates the holiday. 

            For the first two acts I was invested and having a great time, but I’ll admit the third act I found a tad underwhelming (and the reveal is pretty obvious). It isn’t bad nor does it ruin the film, but when it’s revealed who the Thanksgiving killer is the film loses some of its energy from before aside from one delightfully cheesy scene involving a turkey balloon. 

            Thanksgiving isn’t a perfect film, but I had a blood-covered blast watching it and I look forward to future viewings of it every year. I haven’t seen every film from Eli Roth, but this one I easily had the most fun with, grab your carving knife and dig in. 

Kumoricon 2023 Recap