Best in Show: Thanksgiving Horror (Part I of II)

Despite the horror of spending time with extended family around a table filled with food, Thanksgiving has remained a relatively untouched topic in horror. Sure, some films do touch on it and one, rather obnoxious killer turkey film (Thankskilling) is out there to enjoy (?), but pickings are slim. So what separates this list from any other fall horror list, well the films that made it on our Thanksgiving Horror countdown are movies that are either directly related to the pilgrim holiday or help set up the cold winter ahead. They're brooding, dark films lit by candles and backed by transitioning weather.

(imdb.com)

10. Boogeyman

Boogeyman isn't a great movie, but it's one of those films that is actually set around Thanksgiving, warranting tis inclusion on this list. Unlike outwardly bad films like the aforementioned Thankskilling, there is real potential with this film. While it is otherwise wasted on cheap jump scares and quickly aging plot devices and tension, this ghoulish story does provide some sense of nostalgia for typical mid-2000s horror. Currently in a bit of a dark ages, these movies may be reflected on fondly in years to come for their cheap tricks and cracked acting.

(imdb.com)

9. Hush 
Is Hush about Thanksgiving? Is it even about a family? No and no. But, what it is is a movie that finds a young woman, staying warm in otherwise cold weather, hunted by a man in a hat and jacket. The cold evening is obvious in this one and will chill you to the bone. Like many of the movies on this list, it's a bit of a stretch but in the world of autumnal movies, this one is definitely set later in the year. There are no warm oranges or nights in a sweater y a campfire. It's clearly not winter, but it's most definitely not before Halloween.

(imdb.com)

8. The Village

There are plenty of reasons to have qualms with The Village. Critically panned and relatively predictable, the one thing this M. Night Shyamalan film gets right is it’s deeply fall atmosphere. The small, cut off town at the center of this movie is deeply unnerving, but also extremely communal; something those hesitant to celebrate Thanksgiving will resonate with.

(imdb.com)

7. Shelley

An IFC Midnight original, Shelley is a prenatal Danish horror movie featuring plenty of warm flickering lights and chilled woods. Set in a remote cabin, Elena is tasked with being a live in maid for a couple with sinister intentions. Easily one of the more underrate films of the last few years, Shelley is a sleepy and bone-cold movie that'll leave viewers deeply unsettled. Definitely more of a late-fall movie than a spooky Halloween flick, Shelley may not feature a feast, but it does feature enough transitional climate to make the perfect film to watch on Thanksgiving.

(imdb.com)

6. Howl

There's something very cold and distant about this indie werewolf flick. Filled with dark scenery, Howl is a British horror film that takes place entirely on a train. The exterior shots are rainy and dense fog continuously rolls through. Add on the brooding forest surrounding the stranded and jacketed passengers and this movie's tone is undeniably chilled. But, unlike wintery films featuring characters trotting away from dangers in the snow, these victims can all run - that is, if they don't get caught first.

The Overlook: Shelley

(imdb.com)

Titled "The Overlook," these articles are meant to give more exposure to movies the nine readers I have may have overlooked (get it?).

From Rosemary's Baby onward, prenatal horror has developed much like the fetuses of their subgenre content. Seemingly ready to explode, pregnant mothers in horror have reached somewhat of a tipping point. Whereas years ago an occasional movie would have a woman facing her possibly doom at the hands of a questionable birth, now the prenatal ward seems overrun. Even movies who's focus is away from the pregnancy, like Annabelle, feature pregnant women fighting off an inside threat.
 

However, just like in any over-saturated subgenre, small gems might just peak through (see the addition of Train to Busan to the zombie one). This is the world where we find Shelley. Telling the story of a live-in maid named Elena who agrees to have her employers baby, Shelley is a slow, dreary burn. From its beginning moments, director Ali Abbassi showcases an innate ability for character development. That, paired with outstanding turns by the three leads- Ellen Dorri Peterson (Blind) as Louise, a heartbroken mother with issues,  Cosmina Stratan, (Dupa dealuri) as the maid Elena and Bjorn Andresen (Gentlemen) as the concerned husband with twisted intentions, all work well to captive viewers.

The resulting product is compelling. Sure Elena's employers are odd, but their intentions seem good and their hardships are difficult not to feel empathy for. Every character seems intimately woven to matter and they each begin loving enough, in fact, it's only when the oddities begin that the viewer is given any pause as to the couple. This is where the film turns it's attention and becomes less subtle. From a witch doctor with questionable credentials to the plethora of awkward stand offs between the two women, Shelley becomes quickly unsettling.

Shelly is sometimes lethargic - it's placid, woodsy backdrop and candlelit rooms could make a grown elephant sleepy, but that's part of what makes the movie so special. It's alluring and atmospheric setting makes settles you in, only to pull the rug from you at the film's climax.

Shelley is quiet, its subtle surroundings and rather peaceful landscapes provide a contradictory façade. It's setting working alongside the dark and bubbling plot, propelling Shelley past boredom.

It's currently on Netflix, so literally 98 percent of the world has no reason not to see it.