The Five Best Thanksgiving Movies –

Today is one of the biggest days of the year for Americans as it is the annual celebration of Thanksgiving, a day that is a huge public holiday throughout the county and that basically causes much of it to be cut short to instead preach family values. For those of us in Europe, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but as many films were developed and created in the US and by American filmmakers, there are a multitude of options that directly address the theme of the holiday.

So if you’re looking for a themed viewing, let us help with what we consider to be the five best films (either holiday or watchable) based on or set on Thanksgiving.

5. Spider-Man

A bit of a classic and fan favorite these days, it’s easy to forget that the first chapter of Sam Raimi’s web-slinging trilogy is set around Thanksgiving. In between witnessing Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, developing his powers, we also see Peter, Aunt May, Mary Jane, Harry and Norman Osborn get together to celebrate the holiday with home-cooked food and a cozy atmosphere. What might seem like a lovely moment is polarized by a battle that took place hours earlier between Spider-Man and Green Goblin (Norman Osborn, though the characters didn’t know it until now), an event that interrupted this universe’s version of New York’s famous Thanksgiving parade. A really great option for Thanksgiving and an equally fun movie for everyone to enjoy.

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4. Rocky

Rocky operates in this strange limbo where it’s part Thanksgiving movie and part Christmas/New Year’s movie. We’re including it here because the first act and beyond is set around Thanksgiving and features some of the most memorable and iconic scenes in the entire Rocky franchise. It may not be as wholesome as other holiday movies you might find, as this is a pretty turbulent time in the life of Sylvester Stallone’s famous boxer, but it’s also one of the greatest movies ever made, and that’s reason enough to make Rocky your Thanksgiving movie this year.

3. Addams Family Values

Wednesday is all the rage these days, but anyone who’s seen the fantastic live-action films of the early ’90s knows that The Addams Family was at its best during this period. To that end, Addams Family Values ​​is a charming experience that should entertain the whole family, especially those who fell in love with Jenna Ortega’s version of the creepy, eccentric young daughter. This film is ideal for international people beyond the US, as while it clearly takes inspiration from Thanksgiving, it also takes the focus away from the holiday, using it simply as a platform to bring the wider, stranger family together for a special and incredibly memorable meal.

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2. Thanksgiving (2023)

You can’t have a Thanksgiving list without a movie that is literally named after and entirely based on the holiday. Of course, this isn’t for the whole family, as it’s another film to put on at the end of the night, when only the adults are left standing. This horror film is a simple slasher in many ways, a film that finds a Pilgrims-inspired killer terrorizing a Massachusetts town in the days following the annual family holiday. Expect blood, expect gore, expect violence, and expect lots of turkeys and beautiful fall scenery.

1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Without a doubt, without a doubt, the best and best Thanksgiving movie ever: Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Perhaps the most iconic of John Candy’s admirable list of films, this film saw the comedy legend teaming up with the equally talented Steve Martin to appear in a film by screen hero John Hughes. The perfect trinity, some might say. Planes, Trains and Automobiles had the simple plot of seeing an advertising executive traveling from New York to Chicago to be with his family during the holidays, only to encounter obstacles at every turn, asking him to find new ways to travel the distance and get back in time. It’s hilarious, it’s family friendly, it’s everything you could want from a movie, no matter the time of year or holiday. It’s a must-see and our clear number one pick.