What began as a fake movie trailer nearly two decades ago has now found new life as one of Netflix’s biggest streaming hits.
Released in 2023, Thanksgiving stars Patrick Dempsey as the sheriff of a small town terrorized by a masked killer. The holiday-themed slasher has surged back into the spotlight three years after its theatrical debut, landing among Netflix’s most-watched English-language films worldwide.
From Fake Trailer to Full-Fledged Horror Hit
The origins of Thanksgiving date back to 2007, when director Eli Roth created a mock trailer for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse. The concept eventually evolved into a feature-length film, which Roth directed after becoming known for horror movies such as Hostel and Cabin Fever.
The finished film embraces the spirit of classic holiday horror, drawing comparisons to titles including Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night.
Dempsey plays Sheriff Eric Newlon, who finds himself hunting a masked killer one year after a deadly Black Friday shopping riot. Seeking revenge against those connected to the tragedy, the murderer wears a mask inspired by John Carver, the famous Pilgrim.
As the body count rises, a group of teenagers realizes they could be next. What begins as a traditional slasher gradually develops into a whodunit, inviting viewers to piece together the killer’s identity and motive before Sheriff Newlon can stop the violence.
A New Streaming Success
Thanksgiving arrived in theaters on November 17, 2023, and earned $46.6 million at the box office — more than triple its reported $15 million budget.
Now the film is enjoying another wave of success on Netflix. According to Tudum, Thanksgiving recorded 3.8 million views during the week of November 2 through November 8, 2026, placing ninth among the platform’s Top 10 English-language films globally.
The strong streaming performance has helped introduce the film to a new audience while bringing longtime fans of practical, old-school horror back for another round.
Why ‘Thanksgiving’ Still Works
The film received a Certified Fresh score of 83% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and has been praised as a mix of bloody horror, dark humor and holiday-themed entertainment.
Packed with graphic kills, practical effects and exaggerated slasher set pieces, Thanksgiving leans into the kind of horror that recalls the genre’s 1980s heyday. Its combination of gore and mystery has made it a crowd-pleaser for viewers who enjoy trying to identify the killer while watching the chaos unfold.
What Happened to ‘Thanksgiving 2’?
With the original film climbing the streaming charts again, attention has inevitably turned to the long-awaited sequel.
In 2023, Roth announced that a follow-up had been given the green light and was expected to arrive in 2025. However, that release date passed without the sequel appearing.
Roth later revealed that the script had encountered difficulties and that another team had been brought in to take a fresh look at the project.
Scheduling has also become more complicated, with returning cast members such as Addison Rae and Milo Manheim becoming increasingly busy.
For now, Thanksgiving 2 remains in development, but there is still no indication that the sequel will arrive anytime soon. In the meantime, the original film’s unexpected success on Netflix is proving that this holiday horror story still has plenty of life left.