Easter is a season to reminisce and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also a great opportunity for families to bond and spend quality time together.
One way every family can celebrate the holiday together and keep a focus on the reason for the season is to watch movies that reflect on Jesus Christ and his teachings.
Here’s our selection of the best five Easter-themed movies you should binge-watch this Easter.
1. “The Passion of the Christ” (2004).
Being so popular and widely successful, it’s no surprise that this made the top of our list. The 2004 American biblical epic drama film depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The film primarily covers the final twelve hours of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the insomnia and grievance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and ending with a brief depiction of his resurrection.
2. “Risen” (2016).
Risen is sometimes considered an unofficial sequel to “Passion.” The movie follows the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Cliff Curtis) through the eyes of a non-believer, Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), tasked with investigating the disappearance of his body.
Having the story unfold through the non-believer’s eyes is a unique bit that adds a great deal more meaning to the film and its ending.
3. “Son of God” (2014).
This movie tells the full-life story of Jesus Christ, from his birth to his crucifixion. It is an adaptation of the popular History mini-series, “The Bible”. It features scenes from the show, as well as scenes not seen in the television broadcast.
4. “The Ten Commandments” (1956).
This film still manages to dazzle and wow, despite its being over 60 years old. “Commandments,” which tells the story of Moses, has been aired on ABC every single year — except 1999 — since 1973. It is always shown on or around the Easter holiday.
It has retained such popularity because of its rare epic nature, especially in faith-based pictures. “Commandments” has been preserved in the National Film Registry, and the Guinness Book of World Records labeled it the most successful movie of all time.
5.) “Ben-Hur” (1959).
Starring Charlton Heston, this epic movie remains mostly unmatched today. A remake was released in 2016, produced by Burnett and Downey, and is well worth seeing, but it could not deliver the same command of Heston or the drama of the breathtaking chariot race captured in the original.
The film tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a man thirsty for revenge when he is taken from his home and family by a man he once considered a brother. Obsessed with righting what is wrong, he is eventually led to a man named Jesus — who is being persecuted for his teachings and beliefs. “Ben-Hur” is not only highly entertaining; Heston pulls off one of his most powerful performances and one of the most riveting emotional journeys in cinematic history.
