11 Best Easter Movies on Netflix

Can you believe it’s Easter already? Time to dust off the bunny decorations and hide some eggs! One of the hardest parts of any holiday is what to do with your downtime when your family is in town. After you eat all the deviled eggs and ham, and sugar cookies, after everyone’s stuffed and can’t move.. what to do? Watch an Easter-themed Netflix movie, that’s what!

The Chosen

I know what you’re thinking. “This isn’t a movie it’s a show!” Well, yes, but each episode is basically a movie on its own, so you’re getting much more bang for your buck. Also, what better time than Easter to watch the story of Jesus? The show is set in 1st century Galilee as Jesus begins his search for apostles. Also, it’s a fan favorite with a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watership Down

This is one of those “Easter adjacent” movies we were talking about. Watership Down has a fairly simple premise: A group of rabbits with their own culture and prophecies have to escape from their native home and find a new place to live (a hill called Watership Down).

It’s not explicitly Easter themed but it has some religious symbolism and a “first rabbit” named Frith. It’s adapted from a 1972 adventure novel of the same name. There’s also a sequel called Tales from Watership Down and a cult classic traditionally animation version from 1978.

Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness

Chickenhare is the name of the main character of this whimsical children’s movie, and he’s half chicken and half rabbit. The little guy just wants to feel like he belongs and has quite the adventurous spirit. He meets up with a sassy turtle named Abe and a karate-kicking skunk named Meg and they go on a journey to save their kingdom from Chickenhare’s evil uncle. The movie is based on a comic book series of the same name and it’s appropriate for children of all ages.

Duck Duck Goose

This delightful children’s film boasts an impressive pedigree of voice actors, including Jim Gaffigan (Peng), Zendaya (Chi) and Carl Reiner (Larry). It’s a sweet premise, too. Peng wants independence from his flock so he ventures out on his own, but he comes across two ducklings in danger from a cat. He rescues them and all of a sudden he’s a parent. From there, they embark on an epic journey through scenic locales in search of their respective flocks and learn a lot about what it means to belong on the way.

Journey to Bethlehem

This is a fun take on the story of Jesus with a twist: it’s a musical. There’s dancing and singing and it also touches on some heady topics, like how you have to have faith, how people are greedy and how important it is to push through difficult times.

It’s a refreshing take on the whole “nativity movie” genre that we’ve all seen a hundred times. It sounds like it wouldn’t be good at all but it’s surprisingly well done. Audiences love it too; it has a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Come Sunday

Come Sunday is a heady religious movie, but if you want to be challenged by something that’s important and biblical, then this movie is for you. It’s actually based on an episode from the radio show This American Life from 2005.

The premise is fairly straightforward and there are some high-profile actors in it, like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jason Segel and Martin Sheen. Basically, a minister gets ostracized from his whole congregation after he starts preaching that there’s no hell.

Jesus Revolution

Part hippie movie, part rock n roll movie, part religious awakening. Jesus Revolution is set during the Free Love era of the late ’60s and early ’70s. It’s a coming-of-age story about a boy searching for meaning in all the wrong places. Fortunately, he runs into a street preacher named Lonnie who looks suspiciously like Jesus. From there, they meet Pastor Chuck Smith, played by Kelsey Grammer, and they transform his once dying church into something much, much bigger.

Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Serving

Here’s something to keep the kids occupied before the Easter egg hunt (or after) – Green Eggs and Ham: The Second Serving. This fun, animated take on the classic Dr. Seuss story involves a mystery, a secret and a whole new beginning. Guy and Sam, the opposites, hit the road to track down Sam’s mother. If you’re thinking, “hey, how is that the plot,” just remember there wasn’t much of a plot in this one to begin with. Fun for the whole family!

Soul Surfer

This 2011 gem is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton after she famously lost an arm during a brutal shark attack when she was surfing. It’s based on a book called Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Hamilton herself. After the bite, Hamilton lost 60 percent of her blood and her doctor called her recovery “a miracle.” It’s about perseverance and faith, and facing your fears by trusting in something greater than yourself.

A Week Away

Think of this movie as a romantic Christian musical. It’s about a boy named Will who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. He does something egregious and gets sent to Christian summer camp, something he is not thrilled about. However, once he’s there he meets and falls in love with a fellow camper named Avery. Their love helps him grow his faith and he finally feels like he belongs to something great for the first time in his life. It’s the perfect mix of joyful and romantic.

Monty Python’s Life of Brian

If you love comedy and you’re willing to go a little outside the bounds of family-friendly, then Monty Python’s Life of Brian is right up your alley. It’s a beautifully irreverent satire of the story of Christ that skewers belief (relatively) respectfully. Brian has the unfortunate luck of being born on the same night as Jesus, just one barn over. It’s a classic but be warned; it’s not really for kids so viewer discretion is advised.