Movies to give thanks for – Thanksgiving picks

Thanksgiving arrives with the usual parade of expectations, from the dinner table to the living room screen. The holiday has long inspired filmmakers to fold its rituals, tensions, and occasional absurdities into stories that range from gentle to grotesque. This list gathers films that carry at least a passing connection to the day, whether through a single scene or an entire premise, while keeping the conversation light enough for mixed company.

Addams Family Values (1993)

The 1993 sequel to the 1991 The Addams Family, this supernatural dark comedy based on the 1960s sitcom is filled to the brim with spooky moments, fun stuff and wholesome Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) goodness. There’s a scene in which they celebrate Thanksgiving, so this definitely, totally counts! The camp play sequence has gained fresh attention in recent years for its pointed satire of colonial pageantry. There’s enough slapstick to keep the kids entertained, and the whole film is secretly about the Second Law of Thermodynamics! Fun for the whole family, gobble gobble!

She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Spike Lee’s 1986 comedy flick just received the Netflix series adaptation treatment, but the original film is still an absolute delight. There’s quite a lot of, you know, biscuit-dipping and other kinds of not-for-children stuff. Regardless, just cover the little scamps’ ears and eyes until the Thanksgiving scene. See? Totally works! The dinner gathering remains one of the film’s sharpest moments of romantic complication. Really not appropriate at all for the whole family, gobble gobble!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Well, uh, I guess this isn’t exactly family-appropriate either. But, yes, this Steve Martin – John Candy vehicle is an absolute laugh riot, an energetic comedy riding off the rails with jokes & gags. It’s about a guy trying to get home for Thanksgiving. Again, kids can’t watch or hear it. But that means it’s fun for the entire family! The film continues to top streaming charts each November, proving its lasting appeal as a holiday travel nightmare. Even though he appears in literally one ninety-second scene, Michael McKean gets his name on the poster and all promotional material, gobble gobble!

Prisoners (2013)

Wow! Now this is a real treat for the whole family. Hugh Jackman (Logan) stars in this absolute psychological thrill-ride about justice, vigilantism, and the true value of Thanksgiving: beating up Paul Dano (Looper) on-screen. Kids will be so scared they’ll never leave the house again! A real moral lesson and fun for the entire family. The story opens on Thanksgiving Day itself, with the central crime unfolding after the family dinner. Seriously, do not show your children this film. Gobble gobble!

ThanksKilling (2009)

A Kickstarter-funded black horror film that delights in being completely and totally awful. What else is there to say than it’s about a killer turkey? ThanksKilling is a slasher that’s sometimes a little too sick. Everyone can enjoy this – truly, fun for the entire family. The film later spawned sequels, including ThanksKilling 3, with another entry appearing in 2025. If you enjoy intentionally bad films or schlocky horror, then feel free to indulge in this – but please do not show it to your children. Gobble gobble!

Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale (1994)

This film is a chronicle of a Native American’s life from before the arrival of the Mayflower. There are pilgrims and stuff in it. There’s even Thanksgiving. You could call this flick Thanksgiving: Origins or something terrible like that. This has a whole lot of twisting of history but, you know, still enjoyable. Critics including Roger Ebert noted the idealized and superficial portrayal of events. Absolutely fun for the entire family.

North by Northwest (1959)

Trust us! There’s a small tidbit of Thanksgiving nonsense in Hitchcock’s classic thrillride. With Cary Grant (His Girl Friday) in the lead, this tale of mistaken identity and espionage-fuelled pursuit is an absolute knockout that stands the test of time. Fun for the whole family! The connection surfaces only briefly, through a passing newspaper reference or similar detail. If you’ve got some teen kids then this is deffo worth putting on. Give em a cheeky bit of film education, gobble gobble!

Human Centipede (2009)

Well this one is an absolute classic! What else could poss— NO, NO, NO, NO. DO NOT SHOW YOUR CHILDREN THIS FILM. DO NOT SHOW ANYONE THIS. PLEASE DO NOT. OH MY! GOBBLE GOBBLE. From everyone here at Film Daily, we hope you and your family have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving Day! Gobble gobble, gobble gobble!

Thanksgiving (2023)

Eli Roth’s 2023 slasher brought fresh blood to the holiday-horror shelf with masked killers and parade-day panic. The film leans into the seasonal setting for its set pieces while delivering the expected gore. A sequel, Thanksgiving 2, has been targeted for a 2026 release, extending the franchise’s reach into future holiday viewing. Viewers looking for something sharper than the usual turkey-day fare have found it here.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

The Peanuts special centers on an improvised meal cobbled together from whatever the kids can find, turning scarcity into a quiet lesson about gratitude. Its simple animation and gentle tone have kept it on family viewing lists for decades. Recent 2025 holiday guides continue to recommend it as a reliable, low-stakes option when the house fills with relatives of all ages.

Pieces of April (2003)

This indie dramedy follows a young woman hosting Thanksgiving in her cramped New York apartment while her estranged family travels in for the meal. The film trades big spectacle for small tensions and quiet reconciliations around the table. It often appears in roundups of realistic Thanksgiving stories that avoid both slapstick and horror.

Free Birds (2013)

The animated comedy sends a pair of turkeys back in time to the first Thanksgiving in an attempt to erase the holiday from the calendar. The time-travel premise gives the film a playful, kid-friendly angle that still nods to the historical meal. It shows up regularly in 2025 family-movie recommendations for households seeking lighter animated fare.

Whether the evening calls for dark satire, period drama, or something closer to comfort viewing, these titles offer a range of tones that fit the holiday’s mix of ritual and reflection. The best choices match the company in the room, from the youngest guests to the adults still arguing over the last slice of pie.