The 20 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch in 2025
Black Friday sales have probably already got you diving into Christmas shopping, but don’t forget there’s another holiday coming up. And while nothing gets you in the holiday spirit like a good Christmas movie, there are plenty of (no pun intended) Thanksgiving movies out there.
Sure, there are plenty of movies that evoke the spirit of Thanksgiving (family gatherings and cozy autumnal atmosphere), but to truly feel that holiday spirit, you have to dig deeper. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is most often mentioned when people are asked about their favorite Turkey Day movie, partly because it’s so good, but also because it’s one of the few movies people remember, and far from the only one. Here are 20 movies to watch while you cook, eat, or slip into a food coma this year.
What’s Cooking? (2000)
While film and television often portray a uniformity of traditions, each culture, subculture, and family celebrating the holiday brings its own unique traditions and customs. In “What’s Cooking?”, four families of varying ethnic and cultural diversity (Latino, Vietnamese, Jewish, and African-American… with a lesbian couple) celebrate Thanksgiving together, bringing their own dishes (and family dramas) to the festivities. Mercedes Ruehl, Kyra Sedgwick, Joan Chen, Lainie Kazan, Julianna Margulies, and Alfre Woodard lead an impressive cast. Watch “What’s Cooking” on Prime Video and Tubi, or rent it on Apple TV .
Home for the Holidays (1995)
Jodie Foster follows up her 1991 directorial debut , Little Man Tate, with this star-studded holiday party. Holly Hunter plays Claudia Larson, a newly laid-off single mother who returns to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Because what could be less stressful? Her old friends make her feel insecure about her divorce; her mother’s sister, Gladys, in the early stages of dementia, professes her love for their father; her gay brother drops a turkey on his conservative sister; and a friendly afternoon wrestling match turns serious. Sounds altogether less explosive than my typical family gathering, but still. Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott, Claire Danes, Austin Pendleton, and David Strathairn also star. Watch Home for the Holidays on Paramount+ or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
One of John Hughes’s best films barely touches teenagers, presenting a two-act story of Steve Martin and John Candy, two very different travelers heading to their respective Thanksgiving get-togethers. Only the luckiest of us escape the rigors of holiday travel, and Hughes captures these trials, even as the film reaches absurd heights as the protagonists approach their destination—and by the end, its well-earned charm elevates it to the holiday pantheon. Watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles on Paramount+ or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1972)
At just 25 minutes, this holiday special might not be considered a movie, but it packs a lot of holiday spirit into its short runtime. While Charlie and Sally plan to head to their grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner, Peppermint Patty finds herself without anything to do since her father is out of town. So she goes ahead and invites herself and the rest of her friends to the Browns’ house—without the planned dinner. Charlie is determined to do right by his friends, even if he can’t cook anything but toast. Naturally, problems arise. But what Thanksgiving preparation is complete without drama? Between scenes of Snoopy’s antics, there are some subtle lessons about managing expectations and finding the true meaning in gatherings with friends. Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Apple TV+ .
Addams Family Values (1993)
Say you love the Addams Family (go ahead! They don’t care); they’re one of the most loving and supportive families in pop culture. I’d rather spend Thanksgiving dinner with them than with any other fictional family (though I might bring my own food). However, the holiday’s reference here isn’t to the food, but to the national mythology around which it’s built. When the camp counselors make the mistake of inviting Wednesday and Pugsley to participate in the seasonal production, they turn it into a fiery Native American revenge fantasy par excellence. Having white kids play Native Americans doesn’t do much to represent Native people, but at least the film doesn’t glorify early contact. The Addamses certainly screwed up, but they do it better than most of us. Get Addams Family Values on Prime Video and Apple TV .
The Ice Storm (1997)
It might not be exactly family viewing, though I’m hardly one to judge yours. Step back to 1973 in Ang Lee’s classic Thanksgiving film: an annual dinner uncovers dark secrets about the lives of two clans in a quiet, picture-perfect suburb. Dinner is followed by a big party (ask your grandparents) that, if it had caught on, might have led to swinging and group sex with the neighbors becoming as much of a holiday tradition as green bean casserole. Alas. Watch “The Ice Storm” on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Parts of April (2003)
Katie Holmes stars as April Burns in this independent drama centered around an unconventional Thanksgiving celebration in a deeply dysfunctional family. April lives in a tiny apartment on the Lower East Side but is nonetheless determined to gather the whole family for dinner, even though she’s estranged from her parents and siblings, her mother Joy (Patricia Clarkson) has breast cancer, and there’s a good chance this will be her last vacation. But April’s best intentions can’t make things go smoothly. Her broken stove is a problem, as is her drug dealer ex. And her very suburban family members will have to overcome their fear of the city. Fortunately, there’s a bit of holiday spirit, even if it’s desperately hard to come by. Watch Pieces of April on Tubi and The Criterion Channel, or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
Thanksgiving (2023)
Another film that’s probably not for the whole family, this creepy, satirical Thanksgiving-themed slasher from director Eli Roth begins with one of those early-morning Black Friday sales that’s so hilarious, and where nothing can possibly go wrong. Taking a page from real-life events, a crowd lined up outside a Walmart-style hypermarket goes wild when they see the owner’s daughter inside early in the morning with friends. A stampede ensues, and it’s so horrific it’s almost comical: customers and staff are killed without restraint by unruly shoppers (though it’s not far from some of the Black Friday near-tramplings we’ve seen in the news). Next year? A mysterious killer seeks revenge, holiday style. Watch Thanksgiving on Hulu or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
Lez Bomb (2018)
A charming, if little-known, suburban comedy about the profoundly life-affirming experience of coming out at a family gathering and the mixed reactions that follow. Jenna Lorenzo writes, directs, and stars as Lauren, who’s ready to introduce her girlfriend to the family for Thanksgiving… until her roommate shows up and everyone mistakes him for her boyfriend. Watch “Lez Bomb” on Tubi or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
For your consideration (2006)
What does any Thanksgiving need more than a lesbian coming-out drama? This cult-favorite mockumentary by Christopher Guest chronicles the making of an arthouse film originally titled Home for Purim . It stars Callie Webb (Parker Posey), a young woman who brings her girlfriend to a holiday dinner in the 1940s. When this utterly cursed film gains Oscar buzz, the studio takes matters into its own hands, deciding that the setting of a film called Home for Purim is too Jewish. Soon, our cast and crew (played by such acclaimed performers as Catherine O’Hara, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jane Lynch) begin promoting Home for Purim, and it’s a rather tenuous thread that keeps me on this list. Watch it now, and then revisit it during Oscar season. Available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
Mistress America (2015)
In this wacky holiday comedy, Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Noah Baumbach) plays Brooke, an unstoppable force who is simultaneously an influencer, interior designer, and fitness instructor, yet struggles to make ends meet. Tracy (Lola Kirke), meanwhile, is a quiet but energetic college freshman whose mother is about to marry Brooke’s father. The women immediately hit it off, but their differences spark a series of bizarre events that ultimately lead to a funny, touching, and very New York City Thanksgiving dinner. Watch Mistress America on Prime Video and Apple TV .
People (2021)
The past is always present at almost any family celebration, and that’s true of this psychological drama written and directed by Stephen Karam, author of the Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated play on which it’s based. The film opens with a father grappling with the trauma of the September 11th attacks in his adult daughter’s apartment, which is uncomfortably close to ground zero (and possibly haunted). Everyone brings their own traumas and grievances to the holiday table, but the film is clever and subtle enough to avoid obvious twists and easy answers. Watch Humans on Tubi or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
House of Yes (1997)
The eccentric black comedy “I Do House” probably doesn’t exactly capture the atmosphere of any American family at Thanksgiving, unless you have a psychotic sister (Parker Posey) who thinks she’s Jackie Onassis. This is Posey in her eccentric indie golden age, starring in a darkly funny seasonal comedy that, of course, involves incest and murder, so, you know, it’s probably not worth watching with kids. But as a heightened version of the eccentricities that family members can have around the dinner table, it rings true. Check out “I Do House” on Prime Video and Apple TV .
Daytrippers (1996)
You could spend an entire day watching classic Parker Posey movies from the ’90s, which, frankly, sounds better than 80% of typical Thanksgiving activities. Here, she’s crammed into a Buick with Hope Davis and Live Schreiber, who set off on a road trip the day after Thanksgiving to track down Davis’s husband and catch him cheating. Watch “Voyagers” on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel , or rent it on Prime Video and Apple TV .
The Fingerprint Myth (1997)
Dysfunctional white upper-middle-class families was a hot topic in the 1990s, and this series is a shining example of that format. While it’s a typical family gathering for the holidays, grappling with resentments, secrets, and a painful past, it’s a significant step beyond the typical family drama, exploring diverse relationships with unusual subtlety and humor. The entire family is extremely agitated, and with different couples gathering under one roof for the holidays, sleep is nearly impossible. Starring Blythe Danner, Roy Scheider, Noah Wyle, and Julianne Moore. Watch “The Myth of Fingerprints” on Tubi .
Gold Rush (1925)
One of Charlie Chaplin’s most memorable films isn’t exactly full of images of Thanksgiving abundance, though there are reasons to be grateful by the end. But one of the most memorable scenes (not just in the film, but in all of American cinema) occurs during a highly unconventional Thanksgiving dinner: Chaplin’s Tramp cooks one of his boots for himself and Jim (Mack Swain), with whom he finds himself trapped in a tiny, snow-covered cabin during the Klondike Gold Rush. Their Thanksgiving meal doesn’t end there, as the Tramp hallucinates a giant chicken, leading to a round of fistfights before a more tangible bear arrives to sort things out. It’s a good reminder to appreciate any food that ends up on your plate, as long as it isn’t also made of shoelaces and leather. Watch “The Gold Rush” on HBO Max and Prime Video , or rent on Apple TV .
Turkey Hollow (2015)
The town of Turkey Hollow is practically devoid of modern technology, making it the perfect place for recently divorced Ron to spend the holidays with his two children. They all head to the house of Ron’s eccentric Aunt Clay (Mary Steenburgen) in search of peace and quiet, until teenagers Tim and Annie get caught up in the hunt for “Howling Hoodoo,” a ten-foot-tall monster of local legend. This leads them to a plot to take over Aunt Clay’s farm, among other charming Muppet-style oddities. Produced by The Jim Henson Company, the film is based on one of his original stories. Definitely a fun family viewing experience. Watch Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow on Prime Video .
Spider-Man (2002)
Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film doesn’t feature much Thanksgiving, but it’s the perfect setting if you’re looking for a holiday with superpowers. The festivities arrive at a key moment: Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) invites the whole gang over for turkey—Peter (Tobey Maguire) and his friends Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) and Harry (James Franco), of course, but also Harry’s father, Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). He’s secretly the Spider-Man villain the Green Goblin, and it’s during this meal that he notices Peter has some suspicious injuries. Tensions rise as the sworn enemies gradually recognize each other’s dual identities. And what Thanksgiving dinner isn’t filled with simmering tension? Watch Spider-Man on Disney+ or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV .
The Last Waltz (1978)
There’s a lot that’s touching about The Last Waltz , Martin Scorsese’s concert film recorded during Thanksgiving 1976. The band’s final performance feels like the end of an era of rock ‘n’ roll, as the generation of musicians who exploded at Woodstock (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, and many others) bids farewell to what was to come in the face of disco, rap, new wave, and pop. But there’s more here than just a sense of twilight: there are arguments, there’s genuine affection, a lot of drinking, and a fair amount of drugs. In other words: not your typical Thanksgiving family celebration. (The entire audience was given a Thanksgiving dinner before the concert, if that helps sell the holiday connection.) Watch The Last Waltz on Tubi or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
My Blue Skies (1990)
Again, there’s no overtly festive feel here, but there is a scene set in a mall during Thanksgiving, and the film is so charmingly silly that it’s perfect for quiet seasonal viewing. Steve Martin plays Vinnie Antonelli, a gangster sent to live in suburban San Diego as part of the witness protection program. “Tod,” as he’s now known, struggles to give up his criminal ways and doesn’t even try to tone down his unconventional personality. All of this disrupts the life of FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis), who’s assigned to keep an eye on Vinnie/Tod (they’re joined by the always witty Joan Cusack). Herbert Ross (“Steel Magnolias”) directs from a screenplay by Nora Ephron, and while that’s not the best use of this ensemble of talent, it’s still a great way to kill 90 minutes. Rent “My Blue Heaven” on Prime Video and Apple TV .