Whether it’s celebrating Thanksgiving by eating turkey with family and friends, or watching the Thanksgiving Thursday night football game (Seattle Seahawks vs. 49’ers), the holiday has something for everyone. That is especially true when it comes to movies to watch for Thanksgiving weekend 2023.

There is only one true Thanksgiving-themed movie to watch this Thanksgiving weekend. That is John Hughes’ (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day off, Home Alone) comedy Planes Trains and Automobiles (1987). Starring Steve Martin and John Candy, this wildly outrageous travel film follows Neal Page (Martin) on a business trip in New York two days before Thanksgiving, eager to get home in time for the holiday with his family back in Chicago. When his flight is canceled, he embarks on a three-day odyssey filled with drama, laughter, and pure bad luck as he meets an unlikely friend who tries to get him home. Will he get home in time? The film was a hit and currently holds a healthy 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

So what’s coming out in theaters this Thanksgiving weekend? More importantly, will these two films be able to save Thanksgiving weekend from the effects of the pandemic? Last Thanksgiving weekend was apocalyptic as Disney Animation’s Strange World (2022) absolutely bombed at the box office resulting in a $200 million loss. 2022’s Thanksgiving weekend came in at $95 million, making it the worst Thanksgiving weekend since 1994. The big question is will the same failures repeat itself? 

The first major theatrical title releasing this Thanksgiving weekend is Disney Animation’s Wish, a story that echoes the themes of the 100th anniversary of Disney. Wish will hopefully be a box office success unlike recent Disney films that have bombed at the box office (Lightyear, Strange World, The Little Mermaid, Ant Man and the Wasp Quantimana, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, e.t.c). Part of the issue is audiences were “trained” during the pandemic to expect films to release on Disney+ soon after their theatrical releases. Disney is extending the amount of time it takes for movies to be streaming after their theatrical release, returning to more pre-pandemic windows (90 to 240 days). The second issue is the political controversy of its recent films. Such as questionable “adult” material in Pixar’s Lightyear (2022), and the unfaithful casting of Ariel in The Little Mermaid (2023). 
The other major Thanksgiving release is Ridley Scott’s new historical epic Napoleon, which has a full exclusive theatrical release through Sony Pictures. The two-and-a-half-hour film will depict the epic story of Napoleon’s rise to power, and his “volatile” relationship with Empress Joséphine. The film could be a big success given Ridley Scott’s history directing significant films (Alien, Blade Runner, etc.). Scott also confirmed plans to release a 4-and-a-half-hour director’s cut in theaters and Apple TV+ at a later date. 

There are plenty of movies new and old to watch this Thanksgiving weekend. So get off the couch and head to a theater near you if any of these new films interest you.