Easter Bloody Easter review.
Easter Bloody Easter seeks to fill the void in that holiday’s horror offerings. It understands how ridiculous an assignment that is.
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Easter Bloody Easter
Directed by Diane Foster
Written by Allison Lobel
Starring Diane Foster, Kelly Grant, Allison Lobel, Zuri Starks, D’Andre Noiré, Zachary Kanner, Miles Cooper and Gavin Lee
Easter Bloody Easter Review
There’s a reason why the discourse surrounding the lack of Thanksgiving themed horror movies has been so loud. It’s not because it’s the only holiday lacking quality horror (that is, before Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving…Blood Rage notwithstanding). Plenty of holidays don’t have a decent watch to hang their festive hats on. Thanksgiving has always been the target because of where it sits on the US calendar. Right in between Halloween and Christmas. Two holidays bursting with season horror offerings. Easter Bloody Easter, you may suspect, is not a Thanksgiving horror movie. But it does cover another popular day that lacks proper representation.
A town deals with an outbreak of killer bunnies…led by a mythical Jackalope. Jeanie (Diane Foster) is looking for her missing husband. The town is preparing for the annual Easter-Palooza under the stressful thumb of Mary Lou (Allison Lobel). Megan (Zuri Starks) is hunting wabbits. No one is ready for the Jackalope’s brand of Easter tidings.
There’s a bit of Critters to Easter Bloody Easter. Not just because the rabid rabbits fill the quota for little monsters. The town is full of colorful, over-the-top characters. One of the things that makes Critters 2 so successful is being set in a town populated with memorable oddballs. This town is full of them. And they are ready to dance and sing their way through Easter-Palooza.
Easter-Palooza is a funny concept in its own right. Because no one celebrates Easter that hard. Here, it is seemingly the centerpiece of not only the town’s calendar, but also its identity. Unfortunately, the Jackalope is also a part of its history. Legend has it that 150 years ago a Jackalope ravaged the town. Now…it’s back. With a legion of demonic bunnies to do its bidding.
If that sounds ridiculous…don’t worry. It is. Easter Bloody Easter knows it. Jeanie finds blood, fur, and an egg in the abandoned car of her missing husband. The evil bunnies are funny puppets that attack on site. The mayor (Mayor Lou…not to be confused with Mary Lou) pulls from the Amity mayor playbook because Easter-Palooza is just too important no matter how high the pile of bodies becomes. A woman straight up trash talks a rabbit before being devoured by the Jackalope’s minions. Absurdity is highlighted everywhere.
It’s not just the tone that works for Easter Bloody Easter. Laugh out loud moments are derived from clever writing too. There’s one perfect exchange that I have been laughing at since seeing the movie. A local friend(ish) stops Jeanie at Easter-Palooza. He wants to talk about what’s going on. She says to him, “I thought you were banned from church related functions”. He deadpans “So…you know the risk I’m taking by being here”. It’s a perfect comedic exchange.
Jeanie’s story is our main hook into the world of Easter Bloody Easter. She (along with BFF Carol (Kelly Grant) leads the investigation into a series of rabbit related murders. Megan, the local rabbit hunter, joins them in their quest to uncover the secret of the Jackalope. There is some fur flying action…but it’s of the wrestling with puppet variety. Which…I consider a bonus and a fit for the material. The story of Jeanie’s missing husband escalates as the Jackalope makes his presence known to the town. There are several funny kills. Easter eggs will be painted red this year.
Mary Lou is the character you love to hate. Allison Lobel feasts on the showy part as the domineering leader (self-appointed, surely) of the festivities. She organizes (read: directs others to organize) Easter-Palooza. You’re invited to the bunny hop dance…featuring live music from the Carrot Cake band. For all of Easter Bloody Easter’s eccentricities…it’s amazing how realistic the town’s festivities feel. There is original, often Easter themed, music on display. Stay tuned to the end credits for more. There’s even a dance to learn…assuming your town ever treats Easter like this one does. Of course…a party is usually a bad idea in a horror movie. It ends up being one here too.
Is Easter Bloody Easter the Easter horror movie that the world has been waiting for? Maybe not. Then again, I’m not sure the world was ever waiting for one in the first place. What it is, however, is a fun watch that embraces the absurd and joins you in a laugh at it. There’s a mystery underneath it all. It probably won’t sweep you away. This movie is about rabbit hunting, bunny hop dances, and plush toys with vengeance. Exactly as it should be.
Scare Value
A movie made for people who enjoy some absurdity in their horror comedies. Easter Bloody Easter adds genuinely clever humor to a story painted with broader strokes. Dripping with Easter reverence, fueled by purposeful nonsense, and populated by a fine cast that knows exactly what movie they’re in. Looked fun to make. Is fun to watch.
3/5
