Thanksgiving Movie Magic: 30+ Films to Enjoy This Season

Thanksgiving dinner is incomplete without certain elements, starting with the conventional fixins like turkey, dressing, and macaroni and cheese and ending with some sort of friends, family, and fun. The latter can take various forms, such as playing card games at the dinner table or putting up Christmas decorations and stringing lights around the tree in preparation for the next important family celebration. And, while some people think there's nothing better to watch on Thanksgiving than football, we've rounded up a few other options for everyone who might find themselves in your home, from the little ones at the kids table to the adults looking for a break from the weeklong food preparations and the stress of Black Friday shopping.

'Instant Family.'

Paramount/Everett Collection

Thanksgiving movies don't often receive the same attention as frightening Halloween films and feel-good Christmas films, but that doesn't mean there aren't lots of alternatives for stories about one of the year's largest family gatherings. In reality, the titles on our list cover a wide range of genres, from rom-coms and road trip comedies to horrors, fantasies, and, of course, (family) tragedies. So, if you haven't already planned to see Wicked, Gladiator II, or Moana 2 with your loved ones, here are 36 movies worth watching at home this Thanksgiving and during the holiday weekend.

Addams Family Values

This is not the most traditional Thanksgiving film on the list, but the scene in this 1993 dark comedy in which Wednesday is cast as Pocahontas in Camp Chippewa's Thanksgiving play and decides to exact revenge on her fellow camp peers who are playing pilgrims is worth watching on its own.

Black Friday

In this 2021 horror comedy starring former teen heartthrob Devon Sawa, Michael Jai White, and Bruce Campbell, a group of toy store employees have an even worse night than expected when they arrive at work on Thanksgiving night and find themselves fending off throngs of Black Friday shoppers infected by a parasite.

The Blind Side

The plot of this 2009 biographical sports drama is widely known, but there's something extra special about witnessing Sandra Bullock's Leigh Anne Tuohy take in 17-year-old foster child "Big Mike" Oher the night before Thanksgiving on the actual day. (However, there has been real-life controversy surrounding this film: Oher has stated that he dislikes the picture, and he and the Tuohys have been involved in legal action since its debut.)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, based on Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, tells the story of two Thanksgiving feasts when Charlie Brown creates new traditions with his friends Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin, and Snoopy. The special first aired on November 20, 1973.

Dutch

This 1991 comedy stars Ed O'Neill as Dutch Dooley, an average Joe who goes on a road trip with his girlfriend's snobbish son, Doyle, whom he promises to pick up from his elite school in Georgia and bring home to Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday.

A Family Thanksgiving

In this Hallmark Channel Original Movie from 2010, a successful attorney reconsiders her life as a single business woman after a strange older woman shows her to an other universe where she is a happily married wife and mother on Thanksgiving Day.

Four Brothers

When an elderly woman is shot at a convenience store while shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, her foster sons, played by Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund, decide to take matters into their own hands and revenge her death.

Free Birds

In this 2013 animated comedy, Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson play two turkeys who travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving to reverse history and prevent humans from domesticating and devouring their kind.

Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving is a cautionary comedy about two friends whose plans for a low-key holiday dinner are turned upside down when one too many guests arrive at the dinner table. The 2000 film stars Kat Dennings, Aisha Tyler, Chelsea Peretti, Jane Seymour, and Wanda Sykes.

Funny People

The Thanksgiving sequence in this otherwise unremarkable 2009 Judd Apatow film is what propels it onto the list. The black comedy-drama stars Adam Sandler as a retired comedian who tries to mend his connections with the people in his life after being diagnosed with a fatal disease. It stars Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, and Jonah Hill.

More

Garfield's Thanksgiving

Grumpy Old Men

Hollidaysburg

Home for the Holidays

The House of Yes

The Humans

The Ice Storm

Instant Family

Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow

Krisha

Kristy

Miracle on 34th Street

Pieces of April

Prisoners

Rocky

Scent of a Woman

She's Gotta Have It

Son in Law

Soul Food

Sweet November

Thanksgiving

A Waltons Thanksgiving

The Weather Man

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