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What exactly is an Easter movie? Is it a movie about rabbits? Is it a movie about Jesus? Is it a movie about how your family is really annoying?
Unlike Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Halloween, Easter is a major holiday that doesn’t really get much of the big screen treatment.
But that doesn’t mean Easter movies don’t exist, and Watch With Us has put together a helpful guide to the best Easter-themed (or Easter-adjacent) flicks streaming right now.
Our first selection is Hop, a great children’s movie about the pressures placed on a young Easter Bunny-to-be.
On Easter Island, the Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie) prepares to pass the torch to his young son, E.B. (Russell Brand), who will succeed him as the world’s Easter Bunny, delivering delicious candy to all children. But the thing about E.B. is that he has no interest in becoming the Easter Bunny — in fact, his real dream is to be a drummer. In defiance of his family’s legacy, he ditches his homeland for Hollywood, where he befriends a slacker human named Fred (James Marsden). But in E.B.’s absence, an evil chick (Hank Azaria) secretly plans to overtake Easter Island.
Hop may not win over any mature fans, but children will find plenty to enjoy in this mindlessly entertaining movie. The vibrant, well-made animation style and charming character designs help to bring the film to life as the animated characters seamlessly play off their live-action counterparts. The light-hearted tone and creative world-building are also pretty top-notch, even if the screenplay leaves a lot to be desired. Still, Hop is a good-natured and silly fun time that’s suitable for the entire family.
Adapted from the rock opera created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar chronicles the final days of Jesus’ (Ted Neeley) life as told from the perspective of his betrayer Judas (Carl Anderson). As Jesus passionate following only becomes more ardent, Judas starts suspecting that Jesus is succumbing to ego and forgetting the principles he once espoused, in addition to growing closer to the sex worker Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman). The movie is peppered with anachronisms, modern slang and allusions to modern life.
While not quite as good as the original stage production, Norman Jewison‘s film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar is still a highly entertaining movie and a must-watch for the Easter holiday (a live concert version fronted by John Legend was broadcast by NBC on Easter in 2018). Jesus Christ Superstar is an enthralling retelling of a classic biblical tale with a great lead performance from Neeley and impressive musical numbers.
Joe Valencia (Jo Koy) is a struggling comedian, actor and single father living in Los Angeles, whose biggest claim to fame is a beer commercial catchphrase. Joe clinches a sitcom audition that turns stereotypical after the producer learns that Joe is half-Filipino, and the audition also causes him to miss a meeting with his son, Junior (Brandon Wardell), and his teachers. To make it up to him, Joe decides to take Junior to his family’s Easter Sunday celebration in the San Francisco Bay Area. But being around Joe’s family brings with it more chaos than calm.
Despite a familiar story and some even more familiar gags, Easter Sunday is buoyed by its good-natured tone and fantastic Filipino representation. If you love the many comedy movies starring Adam Sandler or Martin Lawrence, you’ll find a lot to love in this one. The acting between the performers has plenty of believable chemistry, and Koy’s performance is sufficiently charming. Overall, Easter Sunday is a fun time that manages to pull all its disparate parts together.
Based very loosely on the characters from Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, this film follows the eponymous bunny (James Corden) and his three sisters, Flopsy (Margot Robbie), Mopsy (Elizabeth Debicki) and Cottontail Rabbit (Daisy Ridley), as they spend their days making a mess of Mr. McGregor’s (Sam Neill) delicious vegetable garden. But when Mr. McGregor’s nephew Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson) moves into his uncle’s home, he’s displeased to find a rabbit family has taken over. Thus begins a war of rabbits vs. humans, as Thomas enters into a battle of wills against the wily rodent.
While not a genuine Easter movie outright, the bright, springtime setting and talking bunny protagonist make Peter Rabbit undeniably a movie with “Easter vibes.” Ultimately, the movie is a great time for both children and adults, deftly weaving engaging slapstick humor with high-quality CGI to make this classic tale into a successful modernized interpretation. The tense interactions between the rabbits and humans make for consistent entertainment, and Corden excels in his voice work as Peter.
Just as water is wet, the Peanuts gang gets together for yet another classic, holiday-themed short film. In It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown (Todd Barbee), Sally (Lynn Mortensen), Lucy (Melanie Kohn) and all their friends busily prepare for the Easter holiday, but Linus (Stephen Shea) believes that their preparation is unnecessary, as the “Easter Beagle” will bring eggs for everyone and ensure everything is taken care of. Unfortunately, Linus’ friends are skeptical, and so Peppermint Patty (Linda Ercoli) and Marcie (Jimmy Ahrens) set out to make Easter eggs, while Lucy organizes an egg hunt.
It’s hard not to love any Charlie Brown television special, and so it goes with It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown as well. The short offers a warm and nostalgic look at childhood holiday traditions, carried by iconic music from Vince Guaraldi and a lovable-as-usual showing from our dear friend Snoopy. The hilarious antics of the Peanuts gang are always a reliable source of entertainment for the holidays.
