The best films to see at Easter

Valentina Premoli
StudioWhakan
Published in
5 min readApr 16, 2022

The best films to see at Easter: between religion, chocolate and animation

<a href=’https://www.freepik.com/photos/easter-flowers'>Easter flowers photo created by jcomp — www.freepik.com</a>

Chocolate eggs, easter Dove, lambs, special recipes and Easter rabbits. After the Easter lunch it is necessary to recover and the only way to do so, is to enjoy a good movie, perhaps in line with this important holiday. Here are the best films to see at Easter.

1- Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

If you are a musical lover, the Easter holidays can be the perfect time to see (or see again) Jesus Christ Superstar, a film adaptation of the famous Broadway opera. A very good Ted Neeley plays the role of Jesus in this rock narrative of the last seven days of the Nazarene’s life, with an absolutely new point of view: Giuda Iscariota (Carl Anderson).

Film directed by Norman Jewison

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Spain and France

2- The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Mostly shot in Matera, The Passion of Christ tells not the whole life of Jesus but the last 12 hours of his life, from the Garden of Olives forward. The film, spoken in Latin and Aramaic, was much criticized for the crudeness and violence of the scenes, especially during the long flagellation, but it reaches peaks of humanity and sweetness that can only make us move and excite.

Film directed by Mel Gibson

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Spain and France

3- Chocolat (2000)

Literally a film with chocolate inside. Everything to taste. And coincidentally, there is also here Johnny Depp. Chocolat is a movie that will really make your mouth water. The film tells the story of Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), globe trotter chocolate maker who decides to open a patisserie in a small and conservative French village during the period of Lent. His arrival, of course, will destabilize the quiet life of the country, awakening the hidden desires of some inhabitants and instead arousing the ire of others.

Film directed by Lasse Hallström

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Spain and France

4- The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Animated film about the life of Moses, The Prince of Egypt is the animated remake of the 1950s film The Ten Commandments. The story, set during the slavery of the Jewish people in Egyptian territory, tells the life of Moses, from his discovery on the banks of the Nile by Queen Miriam to the liberation of the Jews, thanks to the biblical separation of the waters of the Red Sea. A film for the whole family featuring a splendid soundtrack; which earned an Oscar for Best Song (When You Believe sing by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey).

Directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Spain and France

5- La gabbianella e il gatto (Lucky and Zorba) (1998)

Based on the novel “Storia di una gabbianella e del gatto che le insegnò a volare” by the Chilean writer Luis Sepulveda, La gabbianella e il gatto is an Italian animated film from 1998. Set in Hamburg, the film tells the tender story of the cat Zorba and the promise made to a dying seagull: to hatch its egg, take care of the unborn child and teach the baby to fly. . A fairy tale that is a hymn to diversity and integration, the perfect film to see at Easter with children.

Film directed by Enzo D’Alò

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, and France

6- Peter Rabbit (2018)

If you are a fan of the Easter bunny, you can’t help but love Peter Rabbit, a mixed film based on the story of Beatrix Potter. The protagonist bunny does not distribute chocolate eggs but enjoys, together with his sisters and his cousin, making a lot of trouble in the garden of his neighbor, the grumpy Thomas McGregor Sr. A splendid transposition on the big screen of the little all-furred hero he has fascinated entire generations.

Film directed by Will Gluck

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Spain and France

7- Ben-Hur (1959)

A remake of the 1925 silent film with a similar title, it was adapted from Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. During the reign of Tiberius in Jerusalem, the Messala centurion, head of a Roman legion, has the noble Ben Hur, once a friend of his, imprisoned and enslaved. After three years as an rower on a ship, Ben Hur returns free.

Film directed by William Wyler

Stream it now: Italy, Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Spain and France

8- Funny Little Bunnies (1934)

Is a beautiful short film, lasting about 7 minutes, made by Disney in 1934. The animations are extraordinary and the scenes very funny. There is a place, where the rainbow ends, inhabited by funny bunnies who, busy, prepare very original Easter eggs of different shapes and colors.

Film directed by Wilfred Jackson

What movie will you see?, slip it into the comments or under the dedicated post on the instagram page @studiowhakan

Thank you for reading and Happy Easter.

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