Seasonal horror films are apt to blend holiday cheer with horrific violence, and Thanksgiving (2023) from director Eli Roth is no different. It features a gory, dark slasher in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the location of the first Thanksgiving. The central mystery involves a masked murderer dressed in a Pilgrim John Carver costume. There is mystery to which the audience must attend: who is the masked man, and why is he on a rampage of murder?
The movie keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, having them guess who the murderer is, introducing twists, diversions, and a gruesomely fulfilling ending. In this in-depth blog post, we’ll be revealing who the killer is, how they committed the murders, why they did it, and what it all means for the characters and the possible sequel.
Setting the Scene: The Right Mart Riot
The novel begins with a Black Friday horror at Right Mart, a department store belonging to the Wright family. Pandemonium breaks out as a stampede of shoppers goes horribly wrong. During the frenzy, a woman, Amanda Collins, is killed by being trampled. This savage event becomes the trigger for what happens one year later.
And then, exactly one year later, an anonymous killer in John Carver regalia begins to exact revenge upon the culprits or accomplices of the crime. The murders are not random rather, they are systematic, thematic, and symbolic and are linked to Thanksgiving traditions with blood-curdling flair.
Red Herrings: All Suspects
As with any good whodunit slasher, Thanksgiving has a lot of characters that are all potential suspects for being the killer. The owner of Right Mart’s daughter, Jessica Wright, is turned into a main character. Her social circle of her then-boyfriend Ryan and her ex-boyfriend Bobby are suspects. Bobby, in particular, is a prime suspect right from the beginning.
Bobby had disappeared mysteriously after the riot, only to return suspiciously at exactly the moment when the murders began. His anger over losing his baseball career and his girlfriend due to the riot makes him a prime vengeful killer. His erratic behavior and inexplicable returns are classic red herring preppings in slasher cinema.
And as we all know, the most overt candidate is never the real killer.
The Masked Pilgrim: John Carver as Slasher Icon
The killer dons the face of John Carver, a pilgrim icon who is connected with the holiday of Thanksgiving. The Carver mask is unnerving in its emptiness, and the pilgrim outfit includes traditional pilgrim clothing. The Carver mask is immediately a horror icon, much like Ghostface or Michael Myers.
All the kill scenes incorporate Thanksgiving items. Victims are roasted like turkeys, set on corn cob holders, and pinned to dinner tables. It’s a sick parody of America’s most classic of holidays.
Building Toward the Reveal
And as the body toll mounts, Sheriff Eric Newlon heads up the investigation. Initially, he is one of the most likable characters on screen, solid, rational, and determined to bring the killer to justice. He focuses suspicion on Bobby, and what he says sounds plausible. He’s the sort of character people are conditioned to believe in.
The film continues to crank up the suspense through a series of close call set pieces, gruesome murders, and red herrings designed to mislead. Jessica, as a sort of final girl, begins to piece things together.
The Gripping Twist: Sheriff Eric Newlon Is the Killer
In a twist finale, Sheriff Eric Newlon is revealed to be the killer.
Newlon was engaged in an illicit affair with Amanda Collins, whom he killed during the Right Mart riot. Amanda was pregnant when she was killed with his son. This personal loss of life, combined with his sense of the town’s inability to be held accountable, propels him into a fury of retaliation.
Motivated by rage and grief, Newlon becomes John Carver, dressing in the mask and engineering sophisticated killings to exact vengeance on those he blames for the loss of Amanda.
With his role as sheriff, he stages evidence, delays investigations, and frames others, especially Bobby.
This revelation flips the story around. The trusted guardian is the hidden executioner.
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Clues You Might Have Missed
There are quiet clues here and there during the movie that point towards the guilt of Newlon. He exhibits extreme emotional reactions towards the murder of Amanda. He is always one step ahead of the investigation. And during the thrilling final act, Jessica spots twigs and thorns from a nearby forest near the killer’s den on Newlon’s attire, a clue that blows the case wide open.
When confronted, Newlon admits and explains his motive. He believes the people who killed Amanda must be punished. He does not see himself as evil, but as an instrument of justice in a situation where the law was violated.
The Last Confrontation
Jessica broadcasts Newlon’s confession live on her phone, exposing him to the world. When he realizes he has been caught, Newlon goes mad. Jessica releases a fireball explosion in a last confrontation that seemingly kills him.
But his body is never found.
This non-ending ending leaves the reader free to imagine. Is Newlon really dead? Will he come back in a sequel? Or will another actor put on the John Carver mask?
Why the Sheriff Twist Succeeds
Making the killer a sheriff is subverting the horror tropes in a different manner. In every slasher, the killer is in plain sight. Making it a sheriff adds an element of betrayal and corruption of the authorities. It’s not just about who the killer is, but how integrated into the community they are.
This is also a surprise that dips into justice, moral corruption, and mourning. Newlon’s fall from caretaker to beast is frightening because it appears emotion-driven, though deformed.
Thematic Layer: Thanksgiving as a Facade
The film doesn’t just use Thanksgiving as a setting, it weaponizes it. The holiday is traditionally one of thanks, family, and gathering. The killer turns those values on their head. Tables are where victims get caught up, traditions are methods of torturing the victims, and meals are slaughters.
John Carver’s mask is not a disguise at all—actually, it’s a statement. The killer uses the guise of one of the first colonists to punish modern-day consumers for being greedy and complacent. It’s a brutal commentary on consumerism and shallow morality.
Fan Theories and Sequel Potential
Since Thanksgiving came out, fans have speculated about several loose ends:
- Is there a second murderer? Some believe the circumstances of the murders suggest Newlon had an accomplice.
- Is Bobby innocent? His involvement remains ambiguous even after he was cleared.
- Did Newlon survive the blast? Horror movie monsters live.
With the sequel already on its way, these rumors can be the subject of the next movie. Maybe a different killer will take on the John Carver persona, turning it into an urban legend or cult character, similar to how Ghostface is for the Scream series.
Performance and Direction: Making the Killer Memorable
Patrick Dempsey delivers a frightening performance as Newlon, especially once the reveal is over. His peaceful demeanor unravels into maniacal as he lays out his reasons. Eli Roth sets up the final scenes with tension and extreme horror, employing practical effects and psychological fright.
The lair’s production design, complete with a fully realized Thanksgiving feast of human “guests”, is visually off-putting and thematically rich. It highlights how far Newlon’s obsession has disassembled his mind.
Why the Killer Reveal Works
The reveal is not a twist, it’s a gut punch. We’re offended by the betrayal because the sheriff is supposed to be a protector of the town. The show forces us to sit through trauma festering and twisting someone into a monster.
The movie, however, doesn’t romanticize what he does. It shows that pain does not equate to violence. Newlon’s descent into madness is tragic, but frightening.
Symbolism and Final Thoughts
The John Carver mask is one of revenge and hypocrisy. What starts as a disguise later becomes the killer’s ideology, a distorted sense of justice born out of personal loss and the necessity of punishment.
Employing Thanksgiving imagery, turkeys, dinners, pilgrim attire, is not a trick. It’s an intentional play on invoking comforting familiarities as frightening, and confronting the viewer that horror can present itself as familiar.
Thanksgiving is effective because it doesn’t merely present “who’s the killer?” It presents what formed the killer. And in doing that, it elevates itself beyond holiday slasher fare to become a psychological, thematic exercise.
