The Best Easter Movies to Watch this Spring
These festive flicks will get you in the mood for the holiday.
Risen
This 2016 film turns Easter into a gritty, Game of Thrones-style period piece, with Joseph Fiennes starring as a Roman Centurion, Clavius, on the hunt for Jesus' body after it mysteriously disappears following his crucifixion. Cliff Curtis stars as the groovy Christ himself, in whom Clavius finds salvation. With incredible production value, gore galore, and Britain's finest actors, it's the Easter story by way of Gladiator.
Easter Parade
A classic MGM musical from the Golden Age of Hollywood starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, Easter Parade is the perfect nostalgic escapism for Easter Sunday. The film takes place around the holiday, when a Broadway star and a chorus girl fall in love, and culminates with a proposal that happens during the Easter Parade, naturally.
Hop
This family-friendly film from the creators of Despicable Me blends animation and live actors to spin the tale of the Easter Bunny and his son, E.B., who travels to Hollywood in search of rock n' roll stardom.
The Last Temptation of Christ
If you really want to contemplate the existential nature of Jesus Christ and his sacrifices, check out Martin Scorsese's wild 1988 film starring Willem Dafoe as God's son, a simple man who makes the difficult decision to accept his calling in life. The film is a
Jesus Christ Superstar
Maybe you prefer your Easter myth with more musical numbers. The 1973 adaptation of the Broadway hit was directed by Norman Jewison and features a hunky Ted Neeley as Christ. Those tunes will be stuck in your head long after the Easter candy finally disappears.
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
There's a Peanuts cartoon for every holiday, it seems, and something about spending a festive event with Charlie and his pals feels wildly comforting. This 1974 special features the "Easter Beagle" instead of the Great Pumpkin, who takes his form in the clever dog Snoopy.
Rise of the Guardians
Another family friendly animated adventure, Rise of the Guardians rounds up all the fantastical fairy tale childhood heroes—Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost, the Sandman, and of course, the Easter Bunny—to fight the evil forces that threaten to engulf the world in darkness. Hugh Jackman voices Bunnymund, an Easter-obsessed Australian rabbit.
Pieces of Easter
Actor Jefferson Moore wrote, directed, and starred in this
Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!
There's an Easter movie for every film lover, including those who get their kicks from low-budget slasher movies. Enter Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! a dark horror film about an innocent young man, his beloved pet bunny, and the rabbit-masked murderer who gets revenge on an evil, abusive stepfather.
The Ten Commandments
This classic Biblical epic
