Easter is usually a time to celebrate. It is usually a time to gather with family and friends, and perhaps hunt some Easter eggs. However, Easter turns out not to be much of a celebration in Easter Bloody Easter where the only thing being hunted is the unwitting residents of a small town.
Best known for her acting roles, Easter Bloody Easter is the feature directorial debut of Diane Foster (The Orphan Killer 2011, Verotika 2019). Arriving on March 26, 2024 to Cable VOD and Digital HD via Gravitas Ventures, the film follows Jeanie (Foster) whose husband goes missing from their small Texan town. When she comes across his wrecked car, which also happens to be covered in blood and bits of fur, she embarks on a mission to track him down and to uncover the truth of the town’s dark legend – the Jackalope. The shapeshifting rabbit-human hybrid has been terrorizing their town for over a century and so, along with her friend Carol (Kelly Grant: SARS-29 2020), Jeanie decides to end the evil bunny’s reign of terror once and for all.
From the start, it is clear that Foster has opted for a cheesy, campy tone for the film. This is a low budget Horror film that is not afraid to be cringey and over the top. So, with that in mind, if that is not your jam, then Easter Bloody Easter might be a frustrating watch for you. The characters are caricatures, the one liners are questionable, and the actors often act against stuffed bunny toys. It might also be pertinent to point out that, although this film is not billed as musical, there are several sing along moments. If any of that sounds very much like your jam, then you will probably have a blast with this film.
One of the best things about Easter Bloody Easter is that the female characters take center stage. The women are definitely in charge here and the men are much more one dimensional characters who are more often than not used as comic relief. Foster is great as Jeanie, a strong woman who thinks nothing of taking on a terrifying monster to save her husband – if anything she takes it in her stride. This is a refreshing change from other films of the same ilk.
Foster has stated that Easter Bloody Easter is intended to be the first in a franchise. Whether this continues the story of the Jackalope or brings audiences a new monster for every holiday remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen whether Easter Bloody Easter is likely to become a film watched every year and a new Easter tradition. Overall, this feels like a film that will appeal to a very small audience and may struggle to appeal to a wider audience. For this, Cryptic Rock gives Easter Bloody Easter 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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