Review: ‘Easter Bloody Easter’ is as silly as it sounds

In her feature-length directorial debut, Diane Foster entices with blood-soaked carnage, rabid bunnies, and a zany array of cartoon characters. Easter Bloody Easter, in which Foster also stars as the lead, lives somewhere between Attack of the Killer Donuts and Winnie the Pooh: Bloody & Honey. A two-and-a-half-star rating doesn’t necessarily indicate a poorly made movie; in fact, it’s a hoot and a half packed with music. It’s a surprise it’s not billed as an outright musical, with many numbers insidiously worming into the brain. Instantly quotable, the film arrives as one of the year’s most outrageous offerings and makes for a great popcorn flick on a Friday night with booze, weed, and friends.

The story follows Jeanie (Foster), whose husband recently abandoned her, and finds her in the throes of whiskey-soaked sadness. Her best friend Carol (Kelly Grant) attempts to comfort Jeanie but to no avail. Jeanie continues downing rocks glasses left, right, and center, as well as sipping from a flask during church services. Her well of misery knows no end.

As she contends with her pain, an ancient evil known as the Jackalope returns after 150 years to wreak havoc on the town. But it’s not alone. An army of bunnies come alive with sharp fangs, red eyes, and a thirst for blood. Part of the Jackalope’s mythos is that it’s a shapeshifter, able to switch between being human and a six-foot rabbit. That leads Jeanie and Carol to sleuth around in a quest to uncover the culprit behind a series of gruesome murders. They first believe the church’s queen of snobbery Mary Lou (Allison Lobel) is the prime suspect, but their attentions soon fall upon various other Walberg residents.

The film excels in its commitment to a ridiculous premise and never wavers in tone. The ensemble cast, boosted with the likes of conspiracy theorist Sam (Zach Kanner) and Mary Lou’s doting husband Eugene (Miles Cooper), works together to delight with over-the-top performances.

As Easter Palooza approaches, so does the Jackalope. Its many furry minions chomp and cluck their way through the townsfolk, leaving body parts and a blood trail in their wake. Jeanie, who begins to believe she’s the ungodly creature, and Carol continue their hunt for the truth, enlisting Sam and a ninja (yes, a ninja) named Megan (Zuri Starsk) to help in the search. Bursts of vicious bunny bites are appropriately playful and totally unserious. Blood gushes from every orifice, even if some of those spurts are inserted CGI tricks.

When it comes to the build into the third act, the Jackalope’s identity is not particularly jaw-dropping; it’s more about the journey to the finale than it is about a big, mind-blowing reveal. From stuffed animal bunnies to the giant Jackalope suit, there’s no shortage of silliness. If you enjoy the likes of Killer Sofa, Slaxx, and Evil Bong, you will surely find plenty to enjoy.

Easter Bloody Easter is a camp classic in the making. It’s outlandish, but it knows exactly what it is. It isn’t trying to be anything else. It’s pure, unadulterated absurdity. For good measure, the small-town accents are so exaggerated that you can’t help but giggle with each line delivery. What Diane Foster achieves is a commendable horror-comedy with plenty of gags that just work on every level. While it could have been zanier, there is still much to love about this low-budget entry.

Easter Bloody Easter is out now on VOD.

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