It’s Thanksgiving Week, which means it’s time to theme our horror viewing accordingly. Because tradition is a cornerstone of holiday celebrations, expect to find requisite Thanksgiving horror along with an unconventional holiday pick or two on this list. These titles share the core themes of the holiday, either through the rituals of preparing meals or a sense of family togetherness through survival, even if they’re not always actually set on Thanksgiving.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Blood Rage – Night Flight
When it comes to Thanksgiving set horror, slasher Blood Rage has emerged as the reigning holiday champion in recent years. Todd (Mark Soper) spends a decade in an asylum after twin Terry (also Soper) frames him for murder. He escapes on Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect excuse for Terry to unleash his inner homicidal maniac, and Thanksgiving becomes one brutal bloodbath. Between the gore, an unhinged mom (Louise Lasser), and a twisted sense of humor, Blood Rage will leave you shouting, “That’s not cranberry sauce!”
Escape Room – FX Now, Hulu
This pick is for those not feeling the holiday spirit. Escape Room happens to be set around Thanksgiving, a small detail highlighted in the introduction to protagonist Zoey (Taylor Russell), who stays behind as her dormmate heads out of town for the Thanksgiving break. Instead of big holiday meals with friends, Zoey instead finds herself fighting for her life when she tries out a new mysterious escape room; and it’s rigged with lethal traps. Adam Robitel helms this Saw meets Final Destination thriller that brings the fun thanks to zippy horror direction and elaborate, inventive set pieces.
Kristy – Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Tubi, Vudu
For college student Justine, the Thanksgiving break proves to be horrific when she’s terrorized by a group of masked outcasts throughout an empty, desolate college campus. It’s not without flaws, but Haley Bennett makes a great final girl, and Oliver Blackburn delivers on atmospheric suspense. Sure, it may be a little tough to believe that a college campus could ever be that empty over the Thanksgiving holiday, but it makes for a very eerie setting. It’s well shot, the action sequences deliver tension, and the long stretches without dialogue make this excellent Thanksgiving viewing.
We Are What We Are – AMC+, Plex, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Tubi
After the tragic passing of their mother, daughters Iris and Rose are forced to assume her responsibilities and religious duties. Considering this entails preparing and cooking human flesh, the daughters aren’t so sure they want to continue taking over the custom, putting them at odds with their father. Extravagantly planned family feasts and a whole lot of family tension abound in this quiet, moody creeper. It has all the touchstones of the holiday.
You’re Next – Max
Technically not a Thanksgiving-centered movie, but it checks off so many boxes that it might as well count. Lead heroine Erin (Sharni Vinson) accompanies her boyfriend Crispian (A.J. Bowen) for a family reunion. Awkward family interactions, the tension between siblings, and underlying resentments sound on par for a typical Thanksgiving gathering. Most holiday-themed of all, though, is the explosive dinner where things begin to spiral out of control for the Davison family. Humorous as it is tense, You’re Next is a fun reminder that your holiday could always be worse.
If you need even more options, don’t miss these Thanksgiving titles currently available on SCREAMBOX.