There’s nothing more enjoyable in-theatre than a completely self-aware slasher movie.

I remember the first time Scream skewered genre tropes and delivered its now-signature blend of horror and comedy, I was positively delighted.

They just don’t make them like that anymore — save for the supremely entertaining Happy Death Day — but when I saw Thanksgiving in a busy theatre this week, I was reminded of the little joys of good genre filmmaking.

Inspired by a fake trailer from 2007 cult double feature Grindhouse, this has been part of the pop culture lexicon for nearly two decades, and shock director Eli Roth finally gets to make the most accessible film of his career.

Known for gross-out, torture-porn films like Hostel and his debut Cabin Fever, Roth is a good filmmaker whose love of gore never quite landed him in the A-list mainstream.

To his credit, I love Roth. But I also recognize the gleeful, hilarious and frightening Thanksgiving is the best, most commercial film of his career. It follows Plymouth, Massachusetts, the town that birthed the holiday. The residents are dealing with tragedy following the deaths of a number of residents during a Black Friday sale at a local store.

Its owner — the pompous Thomas Wright — is planning another Thanksgiving sale, despite the previous year’s outcome. But when a masked killer begins taking out everyone whose selfish actions led to the deaths, the commercialism and capitalist nature of the town is thrown into a harsh light.

Patrick Dempsey has a hell of a lot of fun here — bad Boston accent and all — and he’s joined by Nell Verlaque, Suits star Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Gabriel Davenport, Jalen Thomas Brooks and Halifax actor Jordan Poole.

The ensemble understands the film they’re making, and their self-aware attitudes really make this one a ride to remember. It’s bloody good fun, and horror fans will get their money’s worth a few times over.

4/5 Stars