So you think you know Easter movies???? Think again, because we’re about to show you five of the most underrated Easter movies that you’ve never heard of. Hold on to your Easter baskets and packaged candies, because things are about to get Easter-themed!
1: The Easter Islanders, by Wes Anderson
That’s right, hardly anybody knows about this gem from the director of Rushmore and Isle of Dogs. The film is about a dysfunctional family celebrating the holiday by making a home movie. The story is packed with valuable lessons about family, the perfect Easter Egg Hunt, and how to meet expectations by producing the same inconsequential movies every year. Bill Murray plays the jaded but young-at-heart patriarch; Tilda Swinton suffers from OCD; two child actors play the grandparents; and Owen Wilson plays Jason Schwartzman. With the quirky backdrop of Easter island and a folksy soundtrack by the hipster group Untamed Tumbleweeds, Anderson fans can rejoice this Easter Sunday!
2: Dawn of the Bunny, by Michael Bay
Turns out, the director of Transformers and Armageddon has dabbled in making Easter movies – one movie, specifically. Dawn of the Bunny is a heart-pounding tale about a 5000-foot Easter bunny that awakens from his slumber and wreaks havoc on the citizens of New York. Bruce Willis plays the hot-headed mayor, Channing Tatum plays a retired veteran and father, and Michael Bay himself plays the rabbit. Megan Fox also has a cameo as a piece of candy (used as rabbit-bait). This is a great family movie – the sequences of destruction aren’t scary for kids, and adults can easily fall asleep. Actually, come to think of it, this movie is a hot mess. It’s like throwing beanie babies under the hood of your car and playing dubstep mixed with rabbit mating cries. Seriously, avoid this one – and avoid the sequel by Roland Emmerich: Dawn of the Bunny, Resurgence of the Titans.
3: Incarnation, by Christopher Nolan
Ah, back to a quality movie. The creator of Interstellar and Inception earns his directorial keep with a movie about the life of Jesus. Incarnation is less a movie, more a series of pensive shots and sprawling landscapes that embody the Messiah’s inner struggle. True to Nolan’s unique narrative style, the film opens with the resurrection and ends with the crucifixion, which is a truly original take on the time-honored story. At three hours it can seem indulgent, and some viewers may find the twist about Jesus’s twin brother to be sacrilegious. But with Tom Hardy in the title role, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by our Lord and Savior.
4: Basket Cases, by Mel Brooks
Who would have known that the acclaimed director of Blazing Saddles and The Producers also made an Easter movie? Basket Cases is one of Brooks’ lesser-known works, its failure in large part due to being released the same weekend as RV. Set in 1960s Chicago, the film is a musical about two rival candy shops competing for the most customers on Easter weekend. Hijinks and hilarity abound as Brooks satirizes everything from West Side Story to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Rick Moranis and Gene Wilder star as the two owners, but be on the lookout for James Caan’s cameo as the Easter Bunny.
5: Rabbit’s Foot, by Martin Scorsese
In addition to being Scorsese’s most obscure film, Rabbit’s Foot is consistently included on top 10 lists of movies with no female cast members. The story revolves around six members of an Irish-Catholic AA meeting in Boston, who recount their childhood Easter stories one by one. As each tale unfolds, an overarching criminal conspiracy is revealed, and without getting into spoiler territory, let’s just say the meeting takes a turn for the worse. Dim lighting, tight close-ups, and a minimalist soundtrack make for an effectively claustrophobic viewing experience. It’s worth noting that Scorsese made the unconventional decision to cast six homeless men as the leads; except for Robert Downey Jr., none of the men acted again.
There you have it – five Easter movies that you’ve truly never heard of, just as the title promised. Literally nothing else.
