Black Easter (2021) review

Black Easter’s bonkers, absurd, and ultimately relevant theme is so outlandish, you can’t help but think of what you would do if it were you inside the movie. If you had the chance to go back in time, and change history, where, or when would you go? Everyone has a different answer but I guarantee you, you won’t ever think of the one that Black Easter holds as a theme. Trust me, you won’t.

This is a different experience altogether. The film celebrates itself from the very beginning when it throws at your face all the awards it’s gotten. You laugh at the jokes while criticizing some superfluous decisions that will make sense at some point. You frown at some exaggerated acting. But at the end, you may feel well rested and relaxed after the film indirectly pokes inside you.

Black Easter is a faith-based movie that mixes time travel, Jesus, terrorist organizations, and humor. You have never ever seen something like it.

I won’t describe much of the film’s events as they are revealed very early. We know where this is going from an early stage. A self-proclaimed genius alongside his girlfriend and some of their friends, are working on a time machine. Their prototype has worked in a very minor degree.

The head of a company promises a big bonus if only they can actually make it work. Needless to say, it does and the band of scientists find themselves working for someone whose plans are evil. Their only mission is to use this machine to go back in time, kill Jesus, and change history.

Yes, you actually read that.

The film’s action thriller approach is kind of fun, considering Black Easter’s budget is very limited and it’s precariously used by the film’s writer and director (Black Easter is a time travel movie, and like with all those movies, things can get confusing. This time you may actually need a pen and notepad. Also the third act is unnecessarily long and complicated). He has a vision and he wants to see it materialized. He doesn’t care if some things look bad or good. He wants to get his message across. The film’s an undeniable work of passion from someone who uses his own confidence to overcome any chance of scrutiny or failure. In the realm of filmmaking, it’s a trait to be celebrated. Jim Carroll shoots a film we shouldn’t question much. We understand what we’re watching.

Personally, the film’s spiritual content was not important to me for most of its running time. At the end, I got Carroll’s wink and I digested his “forgiveness above all” hint. There’s a permanent humor in Black Easter that may actually help oversee the absurdity of the experience. I actually laughed out loud at some moments.

Faith-based films don’t run on the same mechanism as other films. They have a clear agenda that some will accuse of being extreme. Black Easter is an example of a material that’s made for a specific audience and there’s nothing wrong with that.

As long as films are not harmful they I don’t see an issue with any of them. Black Easter is literally a film about changing the course of time by making Jesus participate in a time travel scheme. This is not offensive, it’s just crazy. And yes, it’s also fun.

Federico Furzan

Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.