Rotten Tomatoes Ranks the Best Thanksgiving Movies

Rotten Tomatoes ranks the films that best capture the family vibe, good or bad, of the holiday season
Posted Nov 27, 2025 7:10 AM CST
It's Thanksgiving. Time to Turn On ... Rocky ?
This undated publicity image shows Sylvester Stallone posing in character as Rocky Balboa in the boxing film "Rocky."   (AP Photo/United Artists)

Don't feel like turning on football or taking a "cousin walk" after your Thanksgiving repast? Rotten Tomatoes suggests you curl up under a blanket and watch some movies to ease you into the holiday season. How might Turkey Day movies differ from your standard Christmas film fare? "The sentimentalism game is usually reserved for Christmas movies—Thanksgiving movies are about the family dynamic, both good and bad," the movie site notes. In that vein, here are RT's top picks—which may make you either extra grateful for your own family or thankful that you have fictional characters to commiserate with about family dysfunction:

  1. The Gold Rush (1925)
  2. Knives Out (2019)
  3. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
  4. Krisha (2015)
  5. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
  6. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
  7. Rocky (1976)
  8. The Humans (2021)
  9. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
  10. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Check out more RT recommendations here.

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