With Halloween behind us, you might think it’s time to jump into Christmas mode. However, there’s still one holiday left in between —Thanksgiving. Instead of theusual holiday moviesor watching football, why not change things up by watching a Thanksgivinghorrormovie?
Even more thanscary Christmas movies, Thanksgiving horror movies often tend to be pretty silly and ridiculous. There are also not that many of them. Thus, several of the films in this list are not “great” in the typical sense; they’re kind of stupid, either accidentally or intentionally, but they’re also effective in injecting horror into the Thanksgiving holiday. So here is a list of the top 13 wonderfully entertaining Thanksgiving horror movies you can watch this holiday, from the inventive to the downright kooky.
13’The Boneyard' (1991)
The Boneyard
The Boneyardplunges you into a nightmarish scenario with its silly premise. It begins with Alley Oates, a police psychic, being called to investigate the murder of three children. When their corpses are found in a mortuary, it is revealed that the children are not really dead but have transformed into horrible zombie-like creatures that need human flesh to survive. Things escalate when Oates, Detective Jersey Callum, and a coroner named Shepard find themselves stuck in the eerie setting.
Ghastly Setting and High-Octane Horror
A feast of Thanksgiving frights directed by James Cummins,The Boneyardhas a bizarre plot and an equally deranged execution. Known for its gruesome practical effects – like when the morgue attendant’s poodle mutates into a two-feet-tall monster – and unsettling atmosphere, the movie delivers some intense horror elements. For all its goofy scenes and energetic scares, and for Deborah Rose’s performance as Alley,The Boneyardgained a cult following.
12’Deadly Friend' (1986)
Combining elements of science fiction, horror, and comedy,Deadly Friendtells the story of Paul Conway, a brilliant teenage prodigy who moves to a small town with his mother and an advanced robot named BB. He befriends a neighbor, Samantha, but after she suffers abuse from her father and is fatally injured, Paul implants his robot’s microchip into her body in a desperate attempt to save her. Only now, Samantha has developed deadly tendencies and is on a killing spree.
One of Wes Craven’s most underrated movies,Dead Friendis adapted from Diana Henstell’s 1985 novel of the same name. Initially planned to be a sci-fi romance, the movie eventually ended up being more violent and explored themes of loss, obsession, and the consequences of playing God in a way that was unsettling. Kristy Swanson as the reanimated Samantha is a standout and helps make the movie an intriguing addition to Craven’s catalog of classics.
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Deadis a satirical horror-comedy that takes place in Tromaville (a nod to its infamous production company) in New Jersey, where a fast-food restaurant is built on top of a sacred Native American burial ground. The restaurant’s employees, Arbie and his ex-girlfriend Wendy, find themselves fighting off a horde of zombie chickens and other possessed patrons, and the only way to escape this poultry apocalypse is to think out of the box.
An Outrageous and Absurd Celebration of Horror
Directed by Lloyd Kaufman,Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Deadis a deranged love letter to the genre. It is also a quintessential Troma Entertainment movie, a studio that’s known for its low-budget production and high-energy approach to over-the-top and absurd horror comedies. The use of practical effects is outrageous; there is crude humor and shocking social satire, and the inventive gore and surreal scares make the movie a true feast for the senses. While not for the faint of heart or those seeking traditional horror this season, the movie is definitely an incredible viewing experience.
10’Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County' (1998)
Inthis found-footagetake on The McPherson Tape, the members of a family fight for their lives as they are hunted down by extraterrestrials. It’s set on Thanksgiving Day and follows the men of a family who accidentally stumble upon aliens in the woods while investigating a power outage. Unfortunately, the aliens are not about to let them head back home alone. Armed with a video camera, one boy captures what ensues during the family dinner.
A Dreadful Invasion Thriller
An alien invasionduring Thanksgiving dinner? What else could you ask for? A made-for-TV movie with documentary-style cinematography,Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake Countybegins as a typical Thanksgiving movie but takes a terrifying turn in no time. It is a fun and surprisingly convincing account that will keep you wondering until the end. This is a great choice if you’re looking for a watch that jumps right into the action and unnerves you till the very end.
9’Boogeyman' (2005)
As a young boy, Tim (Aaron Murphy) witnesses the horrifying event of his father (Charles Mesure) being dragged away by the boogeyman. Despite the reassurances of his mother (Lucy Lawless) that the boogeyman is not real, he is never the same afterward. Years later, Tim (Barry Watson) manages to create a normal life for himself – though he lives without closets and keeps his mattress on the floor. But when he learns of his mother’s death, Tim must return home to face his childhood trauma.
Another film that’s set on Thanksgiving but not necessarily Thanksgiving-specific isBoogeyman. Starring Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, and Lucy Lawless, this supernatural horror follows a young man, Tim, who experiences dark visions of his family on a Thanksgiving vacation with his girlfriend. He returns to his childhood home to find out the truth about his father’s disappearance when Tim was younger. Was it the Boogeyman who took him? Or did he leave willingly? Tim discovers the truth as he is forced to confront his dark and dangerous past. After strange things happen around him, he begins to think that perhaps the creature is real and that what he saw as a child is true.
Generic Horror but Still Suspenseful
Boogeymanis an eerie and suspenseful movie with some strong performances from its cast. It’s a great choice for those looking for a more psychological type of horror with jump scares and an unsettling atmosphere. Directed by Stephen Kay and starring Barry Watson, it weaves an intricate mystery and thrives on the notion of uncertainty, and as the environment gets creepier, fans are treated with some creative chills and scares. Its commercial success led to two direct-to-video sequels.
8’Blood Rage' (1987)
Blood Rage
A boy kills a man and accuses his twin brother of the murder, and the innocent brother ends up institutionalized, while his psychotic twin goes free. 10 years later, the innocent twin escapes, which triggers his brother into killing again.
Starring Louise Lasser and Mark Soper,Blood Rageis a classical slasher that follows two fraternal twins who are separated after one commits a brutal murder. One of the twins, Todd, is sent to a mental institution but escapes years later during Thanksgiving dinner. This leads to a massacre as the twin set out on a killing spree.
Blends Slasher Tropes with Clever Humor
For those with ahealthy appetite for bloody slasher movies,Blood Rageis the perfect Thanksgiving horror movie. It is a fun and gory genre flick with plenty of over-the-top death scenes. It also combines black comedy with a psychopathic performance from Mark Soper, making the film a great choice for those looking for an old-school horror experience with no shortage of violence and a dash of dark humor.
7’Séance' (2006)
This award-winning movie follows a group of college students who decide to stay on campus over Thanksgiving weekend. Over the break, they decide to try and hold a séance to communicate with the ghost of a little girl that’s been haunting their dorm. Unfortunately, they get more than they bargained for as the spirit of the little girl’s killer starts to haunt the group.
Takes Place on a Cursed Campus
An impeccable blend of supernatural chills and slasher thrills,Séanceis written and directed by Mark L. Smith, who uses the setting and expertly executed atmosphere to scare viewers. The ghost story is big on tension and suspense and thus, it is a great pick if you’re looking for atmospheric horror. Séance has some great cinematography that really captures the eeriness of the situation. The gore is kept to a minimum and the film relies more on atmosphere and jump scares to keep viewers engaged.
Biggest Thanksgiving Weekend Movies at the Box Office, Ranked
Thanksgiving is a big movie-going period, so take a look back at the highest-grossing movies during the five-day holiday weekend.
6’Thanksgiving' (2023)
Thanksgiving
Eli Roth had thought about a Thanksgiving-themed horror movie for quite a while, ultimately creating a short fictional trailer for a holiday slasher simply calledThanksgiving, which was one of several fictional trailers featured in the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez double-feature experiment, Grindhouse. Like Machete, though,Thanksgivingwent from a fake movie trailer to an acclaimed motion picture over time. It basically channels the spirit of ’80s horror maestros like John Carpenter and Tom Savini and delivers blood, over-the-top violence, and, of course, a lot of Thanksgiving cheer.
Must-See For Fans of Over-The-Top Carnage
Eli Roth has a lot of gory fun with the film, which is packed with inventive kills, darkly comedic moments, and sharp social commentary.Thanksgivingis one of 2023’s best slasher movies, so we can’t exactly call it dumb or bad, even if it is a bit silly. Still, the movie (and the original trailer) transports you to a specific time and place where extreme (and extremely wacky) horror movies were cheap but normalized.
5’Black Friday' (2021)
Black Friday
A group of toy store employees must protect each other from a horde of parasite infected shoppers. Bruce Campbell and Devon Sawa star.
This 2021 horror comedy stars theiconic Bruce Campbelland Devon Sawa as All-Mart employees facing a rush on Black Friday. Sawa plays Ken Bates, a separated father of two daughters, and Campbell plays Jonathan Wexler, the store manager, but when the shoppers begin to barge in, they turn violent and it’s not long before the employees realize that the customers are flesh-eating zombies!
Retail Rampage Like No Other
This horror-comedy offers plenty of laughs and gore and is a great choice for those looking for something more modern. There’s no shortage of blood and gore, but it’s well-complimented by Campbell’s incredible performance.Black Fridayis a fun movie, but it received mixed reviews due to its lack of character development and weak script. It’s still worth a watch if you’re looking for something outside the box this Thanksgiving.
4’Pilgrim' (2019)
Pilgrimis part ofthe horror anthology seriesInto the Dark from Blumhouse and Hulu. Each entry focuses on a holiday, and Pilgrim takes Thanksgiving as its theme. It follows a family who hosts a group of Thanksgiving re-enactors at their home for the holiday dinner. However, they soon discover the re-enactors are more serious about the role than they appear, and when they showcase odd and unsettling behaviors, things start to get out of hand.
An Unsettling Historical Horror
Pilgrimis a chilling masterpiece that blends several genres, the two main ones being period piece and home invasion thriller. Director Marcus Dunstan makes sure there are several underlying themes in the film and a haunting score to really add to the atmosphere and drive the plot towards a twisted climax. The cast is filled with talented actors, and there are plenty of creepy moments.Pilgrimisn’t perfect, but it’s still worth watching if you’re in the mood for a modern horror movie.
