With winter behind us and spring here, it’s time to celebrate Easter. And while some are creating elaborate baskets filled with candy and toys, going on egg hunts, or attending festivities or services, there’s another tradition seldom talked about: holiday movie watching.
From killers dressed in Easter Bunny costumes to faux Easter eggs, watching a horror movie for the holidays is a way of blending traditions we grew up with with something that gets your blood pressure going. But it’s also a way of answering the age-old question of: what if? What if those Easter eggs aren’t what they seem? What if the guy in the Easter Bunny costume has nefarious intentions?
Here are seven Easter horror movies that will throw all those “what ifs” at you this holiday while raising your blood pressure (or the blood pressure of the characters facing imminent death). Watch them now on Hoopla, Tubi, and more.
Beaster Day: Here Comes Peter Cottonhell (2014)
Beaster Day: Here Comes Peter Cottonhell is a horror movie about a giant Easter Bunny that starts viciously killing the local townsfolk. And when the Mayor refuses to act, the town finds a hero in a wannabe actress and a dog-catcher. For a creature feature, the monstrous rabbit was made with a wish and a dream. But it’s for that reason that the cheesy killings and rampage through the town make it an enjoyable watch.
It’s a bloodthirsty guilty pleasure perfect for viewers who don’t mind on-the-nose dialogue, questionable special effects that make The VelociPastor (2017) look high-tech, and exaggerated acting.
Critters 2: The Main Course (1988)
Critters 2: The Main Course is a horror sci-fi comedy about three bounty hunters from space hoping to save a town from a batch of Critter eggs. While not necessarily an Easter movie, it’s on this list for the iconic scene of the town sheriff dressing up as the Easter Bunny and getting attacked by Crite eggs after being mistaken for Easter eggs.
It’s perfect for viewers who like creature features, a good laugh, and plenty of lore. But what makes this movie so beloved is that it knows what it is. It’s campy and feels like Gremlins’ (1984) estranged cousin. And it fits this list to a T because of the logline of the original poster from 1988, which read: Critters 1 got your blood pumping… this time they want more than a taste.”
Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! (2006)
Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! is a horror slasher about a killer masquerading as the Easter Bunny getting revenge for a disabled teenager tormented by his mother’s lover and friends. Though it has a slow start, it blends together disturbing realism with grindhouse horror that will get your blood pumping, resulting in a movie that feels like it’s not trying to be like the copy-paste movies of the 21st century.
Also, despite being made in 2006, it’s got the making of ‘70s horror written all over it. It has a similar low-tech, harsh lighting, and grainy look that the 1974 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre perfected and that you continued to see in the 1978 version of Halloween. Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! is suited for the viewer who likes gore, masked killers, and revenge.
Easter Bloody Easter (2024)
Easter Bloody Easter is a horror comedy where a jackalope and his army of evil bunnies go on a murder spree during the Easter weekend. Who’s going to stop them? A woman with haunting dreams and a sword, of course! But what really makes this movie stand out in comparison to something like Night of the Lepus (1972) or the horror movie Rats (2016) is that they didn’t use live animals. Much. Instead, they used stuffed toy bunnies with glowing red eyes. And it’s hilarious, especially when people are running for their lives, and things get bloody.
If you like exaggerated horror with a comedy twist that leans into tropes with a wink to the audience, this is for you.
Holidays (2016)
Holidays is an anthology feature film that puts dark spins on beloved holidays like New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day, and of course, Easter. In the Easter segment, we see a young girl trying to grapple with the concept of the holiday before she encounters a gruesome version of the Easter Bunny in her home. Though short, it makes us never want to get out of our beds after dark because what do you mean that’s how the Easter Bunny gives birth to baby chicks?!
This segment is perfect for the viewer who likes grotesque monsters like Pumpkinhead and is looking to add some nightmare fuel to their sleep schedule. While it might not be as bloody as other Easter films on this list like Bunny the Killer Thing (2015), it matches the creativity of other horror anthologies like Trick ‘r Treat (2007).
Night of the Lepus (1972)
Night of the Lepus is a classic sci-fi horror movie about a rabbit infestation gone wrong and the hapless humans trying to survive by any means necessary. But what makes it a memorable movie is that they took the concept seriously. And it makes sense when you realize this movie has Oscar-nominated actors like Stuart Whitman and Star Trek (1966) icon DeForest Kelley.
On top of that, you have the actual villain of the story: the rabbits. Like Frogs (1972), you have to let your imagination, intense close-up shots, and haunting music do the work of making this movie scary. Because those rabbits, oh, they’re not scary at all. Come for the classic human vs monster trope and stay for the gritty cinematography.
Bunny the Killer Thing (2015)
Bunny the Killer Thing is a horror sex comedy about a group of friends who travel to a cabin and encounter a half-human, half-rabbit with an appetite for more than killing. You definitely don’t want to watch this with your family on Easter because of the bizarre premise, trigger warnings, and swinging appendages. But you’re guaranteed never to forget what you saw, even if you desperately want to erase it from your memory afterward.
If anything, it’s an interesting look into the slasher and horror scene in Finland. And it’s for viewers who like gore and don’t mind some blood in their creature features with experimental serums.
