29 Best Thanksgiving Movies to Watch Right Now

Thanksgiving is all about connection—whether it’s with family, friends, or even a little quiet time to yourself after a day of feasting. Once the turkey’s been carved, the pumpkin pie is gone, and the football games are winding down, there’s no better way to wind up the holiday than with a good movie.

While Thanksgiving might not boast the cinematic spectacle of Halloween or Christmas, there’s a surprising variety of films that capture the spirit of the season. From heartfelt family dramas and laugh-out-loud comedies to food-filled gatherings and stories about finding gratitude, these movies bring the warmth and chaos of Thanksgiving to life.

So, whether you’re looking for a classic holiday story or just a cozy way to end the day, here’s a roundup of the best Thanksgiving movies to watch right now.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Movie Photo

Director: John Hughes
Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins and Michael McKean
Watch On: Paramount+

It tells the story of Neal, an uptight marketing executive, and Del, a well-meaning but annoying salesman, who become travel companions when their flight is diverted, and embark on a 3-day odyssey of misadventures trying to reach Chicago in time for Neal’s Thanksgiving Day dinner with his family.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Barbara Hershey, Lloyd Nolan, Maureen O’Sullivan, Daniel Stern, Max von Sydow, Dianne Wiest
Watch On: Tubi TV, Pluto TV

Between two Thanksgivings, Hannah’s husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.

Pieces of April (2003)

Director: Peter Hedges
Starring: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, Sean Hayes, Alison Pill, Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson
Watch On: MGM Plus, MUBI, Tubi TV, Pluto TV

Quirky and rebellious April Burns lives with her boyfriend in a low-rent New York City apartment miles away from her emotionally distant family. But when she discovers that her mother has a fatal form of breast cancer, she invites the clan to her place for Thanksgiving. While her father struggles to drive her family into the city, April — an inexperienced cook — runs into kitchen trouble and must ask a neighbor for help.

The Ice Storm (1997)

Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, Glenn Fitzgerald, Jamey Sheridan and Sigourney Weaver
Watch On: Apple TV

The film is based on Rick Moody’s 1994 novel of the same name and set during Thanksgiving 1973 in New Canaan, Connecticut.
During the 1973 Thanksgiving weekend, the Hoods are – relationship-wise, skidding out-of-control, isolated from each other; Benjamin reels from drink-to-drink, His wife, Elena’s losing patience with Ben’s incessant lies. Home for the holidays, their son, Paul, heads into Manhattan, in search of a rich girl from his prep school. Wendy, the teenage daughter, roams the neighborhood, exploring the liquor and lingerie of her friends’ parents, looking for something – anything – new. Then, an ice storm hits, and their problems seem inconsequential, and nothing will ever be the same.

Thanksgiving (2023)

Director: Eli Roth
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, and Gina Gershon
Watch On: Netflix

It is a based on a story by the pair, who produced with Roger Birnbaum. Based on Roth’s fictitious trailer of the same name from Grindhouse (2007), it is the third feature-length adaptation of a fictitious Grindhouse trailer after Robert Rodriguez’s Machete (2010) and Jason Eisener’s Hobo with a Shotgun (2011).
After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday.

The Humans (2021)

Director: Stephen Karam
Starring: Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell, Amy Schumer, Beanie Feldstein, Steven Yeun, and June Squibb
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video

Erik Blake has gathered three generations of his Pennsylvania family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s apartment in lower Manhattan. As darkness falls outside and eerie things start to go bump in the night, the group’s deepest fears are laid bare.

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She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Watch On: Netflix

The story of Nola Darling’s simultaneous sexual relationships with three different men is told by her and by her partners and other friends. All three men wanted her to commit solely to them; Nola resists being “owned” by a single partner.

Rocky (1976)

Director: John G. Avildsen
Starring: Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith
Watch On: Apple TV

It is the first installment in the Rocky franchise. In the film, Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a poor small-time club fighter and loanshark debt collector from Philadelphia, gets an unlikely shot at the world heavyweight championship held by Apollo Creed (Weathers).

Addams Family Values (1993)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Carel Struycken, Jimmy Workman, Christopher Hart, Joan Cusack and Carol Kane
Watch On: Paramount+, AMC+, The Roku Channel

It is a based on the characters created by Charles Addams. It is the sequel to The Addams Family (1991).
When an adorable baby boy is added to the Addams household, Wednesday and Pugsley do not hate him, they just aren’t necessarily excited about his existence. OK…yeah, they do hate him. So they plot to get rid of him one way or another. Meanwhile, their parents hire a nanny for him and she charms Fester, but has evil intentions for him. The Addamses must stop her, but how?

Krisha (2015)

Director: Trey Edward Shults
Starring: Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Trey Edward Shults, Bill Wise
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video

After a long decade of estrangement, grizzled Aunt Krisha shows up at her sister’s home on a bright Thanksgiving morning. Swearing she’s got her act together now, Krisha is desperate to re-enter the family circle. However, she has deeply hurt her loved ones in the past. As a result, her family greets her with a volatile mix of sympathy and wariness. And from the very start, a corrosive undercurrent of silent discomfort permeates the multi-generational gathering. But Krisha is determined not to let anything stand in the way of reconciliation. Without hesitation, she takes on the crucial and risky task of cooking the turkey, seeing it as her big chance to build bridges. As heat caresses the turkey’s crisp brown skin, wary glances and private conversations ratchet up the tension, revealing painful secrets. Is the family’s lost lamb ready to make up for lost time?

The Gold Rush (1925)

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Malcolm Waite
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Max, Criterion Channel, History Vault, Tubi TV, Freevee

A lone prospector ventures into Alaska looking for gold. He gets mixed up with some burly characters and falls in love with the beautiful Georgia. He tries to win her heart with his singular charm.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Director: George Seaton
Starring: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood, Porter Hall, William Frawley, Jerome Cowan, Philip Tonge
Watch On: Disney Plus, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Paramount Plus, AMC Plus, Apple TV Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Roku Premium Channel, Pluto TV

Kris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow at Macy’s following his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. His portrayal is so complete that many begin to question if he truly is Santa Claus, while others question his sanity.

Scent of a Woman (1992)

Director: Martin Brest
Starring: Al Pacino, Chris O’Donnell, James Rebhorn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gabrielle Anwar, and Bradley Whitford i
Watch On: Apple TV

The film was adapted by Bo Goldman from the Italian novel Il buio e il miele (Italian: Darkness and Honey) by Giovanni Arpino. This was previously adapted by Dino Risi for his 1974 Italian film Profumo di donna.
Charlie Simms is a student at a private preparatory school who comes from a poor family. To earn the money for his flight home to Gresham, Oregon for Christmas, Charlie takes a job over Thanksgiving looking after retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cantankerous middle-aged man who lives with his niece and her family.

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Avalon (1990)

Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Elizabeth Perkins, Joan Plowright and Aidan Quinn
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

It is the third in Levinson’s semi-autobiographical tetralogy of “Baltimore films” set in his hometown during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987), and Liberty Heights (1999).
The film explores the themes of Jewish assimilation into American life, through several generations of a Polish immigrant family from the 1910s through the 1950s.

The Last Waltz (1978)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Freevee

Thanksgiving, 1976, San Francisco’s Winterland: The Band performs its last concert after 16 years on the road. Some numbers they do alone, some songs include guest artists from Ronnie Hawkins (their first boss, when they were the Hawks) to Bob Dylan (their last, when as his backup and as a solo group, they came into their own). Scorsese’s camera explores the interactions onstage in the making of music. Offstage, he interviews the Band’s five members, focusing on the nature of life on the road. The friendships, the harmonies, the hijinks, and the wear and tear add up to a last waltz.

Home for the Holidays (1995)

Director: Jodie Foster
Starring: Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Guttenberg, Cynthia Stevenson, Claire Danes, Austin Pendleton, and David Strathairn
Watch On: fuboTV, Paramount+, Pluto TV

After losing her job, making out with her soon to be ex-boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson has to face spending the holiday with her family. She wonders if she can survive their crazy antics.

The House of Yes (1997)

Director: Mark Waters
Starring: Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Tori Spelling, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Geneviève Bujold
Watch On: Pluto TV

Jackie-O is anxiously awaiting the visit of her brother home for Thanksgiving, but isn’t expecting him to bring a friend — and she’s even more shocked to learn that this friend is his fiance. It soon becomes clear that her obsession with Jackie Kennedy is nothing compared to her obsession with her brother, and she isn’t the only member of the family with problems.

Alice’s Restaurant (1969)

Director: Arthur Penn
Starring: Arlo Guthrie, Pat Quinn, James Broderick, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, William Obanhein
Watch On: Apple TV

Arlo Guthrie’s song is converted into a motion picture. Arlo goes to see Alice for Thanksgiving, and as a favor he takes her trash to the dump. When the dump is closed, he drops it on top of another pile of garbage at the bottom of a ravine. When the local sheriff finds out, a major manhunt begins. Arlo manages to survive the courtroom experience but it haunts him when he is to be inducted into the Army via the draft. The movie follows the song with Arlo’s voiceover as both music and narration.

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Soul Food (1997)

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Starring: Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, Jeffrey D. Sams, Irma P. Hall, Gina Ravera and Brandon Hammond
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

Traditional Sunday dinners at Mama Joe’s (Irma P. Hall) turn sour when sisters Teri (Vanessa L. Williams), Bird (Nia Long) and Maxine (Vivica A. Fox) start bringing their problems to the dinner table in this ensemble comedy. When tragedy strikes, it’s up to grandson Ahmad (Brandon Hammond) to pull the family together and put the soul back into the family’s weekly gatherings.

Instant Family (2018)

Director: Sean Anders
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Merced, Gustavo Quiroz, Julianna Gamiz, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Tig Notaro, Octavia Spencer, and Tom Segura
Watch On: fuboTV, Paramount+

Feeling a void in their marriage, Pete and Ellie Wanger visit a foster-care center. Two social workers, Karen and Sharon, guide the hopeful parents on the path to becoming adoptive parents.The couples are taken to a fair where they have the chance to go up to kids that they are interested in adopting. Pete and Ellie walk by the teenagers; although Ellie shows hesitance, one teen, Lizzy, informs Ellie that they all now that nobody wants to adopt teenagers. Pete and Ellie talk to Karen and Sharon over potentially taking in Lizzy. The social workers inform the couple that Lizzy’s mother is a drug addict who is currently in jail, and she set their house on fire by leaving her crack pipe lit. They also find that Lizzy has two younger siblings, Juan and Lita. Although this seems like more of a challenge for Pete and Ellie, they agree to meet the siblings. Pete and Ellie have Thanksgiving dinner with Ellie’s family, who all remark that they have no confidence that the Wagners would be good adoptive parents, until Ellie has enough and decides that they will go through with the foster care to prove that they can be good parents.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson
Watch On: Disney Plus

After 12 years of bucolic bliss, Mr. Fox (George Clooney) breaks a promise to his wife (Meryl Streep) and raids the farms of their human neighbors, Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Giving in to his animal instincts endangers not only his marriage but also the lives of his family and their animal friends. When the farmers force Mr. Fox and company deep underground, he has to resort to his natural craftiness to rise above the opposition.

One True Thing (1998)

Director: Carl Franklin
Starring: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott, Nicky Katt, Lauren Graham
Watch On: Amazon Video, Apple TV

It tells the story of a woman in her 20s who is forced to put her life on hold in order to care for her mother, who is dying of cancer. The script was adapted by Karen Croner from the novel by Anna Quindlen, with the story being based on Quindlen’s own struggle with the death of her mother, Prudence Pantano Quindlen, from ovarian cancer in 1972.

Tadpole (2002)

Director: Gary Winick
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth, Aaron Stanford, John Ritter, Robert Iler, and Kate Mara
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video

Beautiful, sophisticated women are all over Oscar Grubman. He is sensitive and compassionate, speaks French fluently, is passionate about Voltaire, and thinks the feature that tells the most about a woman is her hands. On the train home from Chauncey Academy for the Thanksgiving weekend, Oscar confides in his best friend that he has plans for this vacation–he will win the heart of his true love. But there is one major problem–Oscar’s true love is his stepmother Eve. Oscar is certain that he could be a better mate to Eve than his work-obsessed father. He fails to win Eve’s heart and is consequently dejected. Oscar’s path to his true love is further crossed by Diane, Eve’s best friend who, one night while wearing Eve’s borrowed perfumed scarf, offers him temporary comfort in an unconventional tryst. For Diane, Oscar fills a void in her life. For Oscar, Diane is somewhat of a distraction, as his continued pursuit of Eve leads to an unexpected resolution.

Prisoners (2013)

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano
Watch On: Max

How far would you go to protect your family? Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki arrests its driver, Alex Jones, but a lack of evidence forces his release. As the police pursue multiple leads and pressure mounts, knowing his child’s life is at stake the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

Spider-Man (2002)

Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, and Rosemary Harris
Watch On: Disney Plus, fuboTV

Based on Marvel Comics’ superhero character, this is a story of Peter Parker who is a nerdy high-schooler. He was orphaned as a child, bullied by jocks, and can’t confess his crush for his stunning neighborhood girl Mary Jane Watson. To say his life is “miserable” is an understatement. But one day while on an excursion to a laboratory a runaway radioactive spider bites him… and his life changes in a way no one could have imagined. Peter acquires a muscle-bound physique, clear vision, ability to cling to surfaces and crawl over walls, shooting webs from his wrist … but the fun isn’t going to last. An eccentric millionaire Norman Osborn administers a performance enhancing drug on himself and his maniacal alter ego Green Goblin emerges. Now Peter Parker has to become Spider-Man and take Green Goblin to the task… or else Goblin will kill him. They come face to face and the war begins in which only one of them will survive at the end.

Almost Christmas (2016)

Director: David E. Talbert
Starring: Kimberly Elise, Mo’Nique, Nicole Ari Parker, Gabrielle Union, Keri Hilson, Jessie Usher, Danny Glover, Omar Epps, John Michael Higgins, D.C. Young Fly, and Romany Malco
Watch On: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu

Walter Meyer (Danny Glover) is a retired mechanic who lost the love of his life almost a year ago. For the holidays, he invites his now grown children and their families to his house (where they all grew up) for a traditional celebration. Walter soon realizes that if his bickering children and the rest of the family can spend five days together under the same roof, it will truly be a Christmas miracle.

Friendsgiving (2020)

Director: Nicol Paone
Starring: Malin Åkerman, Kat Dennings, Aisha Tyler, Chelsea Peretti, Christine Taylor, Jane Seymour, Deon Cole, Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho, Fortune Feimster, Jack Donnelly, and Ryan Hansen
Watch On: Starz, Apple TV

Abby is looking forward to a laid-back Thanksgiving with her best friend Molly. But the friends’ plans for a quiet turkey dinner go up in smoke when they’re joined by Molly’s new boyfriend and her flamboyant mother. Throw in some party crashers including Molly’s old flame, a wannabe shaman, and a trio of Fairy Gay Mothers, and it’s a recipe for a comically chaotic holiday no one will ever forget-even if they wanted to.

Mistress America (2015)

Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke
Watch On: Amazon Video, Apple TV

Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York, is rescued from her solitude by her soon-to-be stepsister Brooke, an adventurous gal about town who entangles her in alluringly mad schemes. ‘Mistress America’ is a comedy about dream-chasing, score-settling, makeshift families, and cat-stealing.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates
Watch On: Amazon Video, Apple TV

Based on the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael’s skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.