The Best Easter Movies to Stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime
When it comes to holidays, Easter doesn’t get nearly the same movie love as Christmas. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some Easter-themed movies worth watching. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime have a solid selection of Easter-appropriate films you can stream this holiday weekend, from those that deal with the holiday’s religious meaning to family-friendly flicks with cute rabbits. Consider queuing up these movies or shows when you sit down in from the TV on Sunday evening.
The best Easter movies on Netflix
Whether you’re in the mood for drama, comedy, or something animated this Easter, Netflix has got you covered.
Hop: In this kid-friendly comedy, a jobless slacker (James Marsden) accidentally hits E.B. (Russell Brand), the son of the Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie), with his car one night. Shenanigans ensue.
The Gospel of John: This 2014 film is a word-for-word adaptation of the apostle John’s New Testament gospel, performed in Aramaic. You can also stream The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Luke, and The Gospel of Mark, three other films in the same series depicting the life of Jesus.
Rebellion: In Ireland in 1916, a group of rebels planned an armed insurrection against British rule. The story of the uprising — which was supposed to begin on Easter Sunday but didn’t actually start until Easter Monday — and its aftermath is told in this Irish series, which lasted two seasons.
The Life of Brian: For the irreverent, Netflix has Monty Python’s Life of Brian, a 1979 comedy about an unfortunate man named Brian, who is born in a stable in Judea and keeps getting confused for some guy named Jesus. The film was controversial when it was released, but has gone on to become a comedy classic.
The best Easter movies on Amazon Prime
This Easter, Amazon Prime subscribers can choose from a range of movies that explore the life of Jesus.
The Greatest Story Ever Told: This 1965 epic — it runs over three hours — tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth (Max Von Sydow). Also starring Charlton Heston as John the Baptist, David McCallum as Judas, and Joanna Dunham as Mary Magdalene.
The Passion of the Christ: Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie stars Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci and focuses on the last 12 hours of Jesus’s life. Though some people doubted whether it would succeed, it was a massive hit when it was released. For a time, it was the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever. The film’s graphic violence means it might not be appropriate for younger viewers.
The Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini delivered this take on the birth, life, and death of Jesus in 1964. Pasolini, an atheist and a Marxist, hired non-professional actors for the movie, which follows the text of the Gospel almost word-for-word. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw calls it “brilliant and entirely unforgiving.”
Jesus of Nazareth: Another Italian director, Franco Zeffirelli, tackled the life of Jesus in this star-studded 1977 miniseries. Robert Powell plays Jesus, Anne Bancroft is Mary Magdalene, James Earl Jones is Balthazar, Ian McShane is Judas, Laurence Olivier is Nicodemus, and Christopher Plummer is Herod Antipas.
Amazon also has a number of Easter-themed movies available to rent, such as It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown; Easter Parade; and Risen.
This article was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated.
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