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Parents' Guide to

Easter Sunday

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Joyous, inclusive comedy has some violence, strong language.

Movie PG-13 2022 120 minutes
Easter Sunday Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

R90
R90 Adult
August 8, 2022
age 18+

Blasphemous and not funny

This movie was terrible and not that funny. There was an extremely blasphemous scene when they go to the church that I didn’t approve. Also a few scenes where the actors were making jokes about being afraid of a statue of the child Jesus of Prague and then the statue also broke as well. Also a couple scenes of characters swearing , taking Gods name in vain a lot As a Roman Catholic I didn’t respect it and it was big mistake and I regret spending money to go see it. but if you’re a catholic don’t let your kids watch it, don’t expose them to blasphemous jokes about the Christian faith or not taking the faith seriously .

This title has:

Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
SamiKay
SamiKay Parent of 9 and 16-year-old
August 6, 2022
age 9+

Family First

I liked all of it. I didn't like that they made it seem like all that Philippino family fight a lot. All families do 😉

This title has:

Great messages
1 person found this helpful.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In EASTER SUNDAY, Filipino stand-up comic Joe Valencia (Jo Koy) is badgered by his mother (Lydia Gaston) to come home for the Easter holiday. He decides to drag along his son, Junior (Brandon Wardell), for some bonding time. Unfortunately, Joe is distracted by the possibility of getting a part on a new TV series that would require him to do a "funny" Filipino accent. He also discovers that his cousin Eugene (Eugene Cordero), with whom he has invested in a taco truck, has turned their investment into a "hype truck" and now owes money to angry mobsters. On top of that, Joe's mother and her sister, Joe's Tita Theresa (Tia Carrere), are fighting and refuse to share a meal together. Everything comes to a head when the criminals, led by Dev Deluxe (Asif Ali), crash the dinner party.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Though it relies on overly familiar sitcom-type plot threads, this inclusive comedy is fleshed out by its warm characters, their easy chemistry, and the humor that flows naturally as a result. Marking Koy's leading-man debut, Easter Sunday successfully draws from his stand-up act, focusing on all the love and craziness of his Filipino family. It's a treat to see such strong representation, but the family dynamic is also nicely universal. Director Jay Chandrasekhar is best known for his broad, lowbrow Broken Lizard comedies, and here he falls back on coincidences, chase scenes, annoying villains, and a violent showdown (all clichés that don't conjure many laughs), but the simpler character interactions are genuinely funny.

Koy is smart enough to surround himself with a wide selection of wonderful character actors, mostly Filipino, that elevate the material. Cordero is a delight as the cousin whose dumb idea causes all the trouble, while he still demonstrates a sweetness and a charming smile that make him relatable. Carrere is hilarious as the pouting auntie who wages subtle food wars with Joe's mom. Comic Jimmy O. Yang is great as a backroom black-market guy. And Lou Diamond Phillips brings a legendary presence to his cameo as himself. There's a lot happening in Easter Sunday, but it's really the little moments in between the broader strokes that make it worth hunting for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Easter Sunday. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How does the movie depict Filipino families and culture? Why is diverse representation in the media important?

  • How is communication important to the story? What are some examples of characters communicating or not communicating, and what were the consequences?

  • What are the reasons for and against Joe taking the job on the sitcom that requires him to do a "funny" accent? Would you have taken the job? Why, or why not?

  • Given that Joe stars in a TV commercial for a real product (Budweiser), did it feel like the movie was advertising that product? Why, or why not?

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