Holiday horror is one of the most popular themed sub-genres in the horror nation. While Halloween is king, productions featuring other holidays are amongst the most viewed and adored. Something about a calendar date revives a thrill for the classics. Which horror hound does not come barking on Friday the 13th when that date falls upon us? One holiday that does not have much to offer the fiends of fright is Easter. (For a list of Easter Horror Films please visit the article Top 5 Horror Easter Films) Director Jack Peter Mundy on a script from Sophie Stork K attempt to bring Easter into the fold with their new holiday horror film, “The Easter Bunny Massacre.”
Before embarking on their careers, several young adults head to the woods to let loose one last time before their “real” lives begin. Heather, the sinister mean girl of the group, appears to be holding secrets over all of her friends. After a night of alcohol and drugs, everyone wakes up to find Heather murdered. With no definite answer as to what has happened, and not wanting to risk their bright futures, the group decides to bury Heather along with their tainted memories of her. A year later, those involved receive a secret invitation to celebrate Easter, which happens to be the anniversary of Heather’s tragedy. Upon arrival, and hoping to bury the past, everyone soon realizes that the only easter egg hunt this year is going to feature them as the prize.
“Easter Bunny Massacre” is a decent effort with a smart plot. Director Mundy does a decent job with the obvious micro budget that he works with. While the redundant theme of a dead friend coming back to haunt her peers has been tried and true, writer Stork presents a whodunnit scenario that keeps the viewer glued to the screen. The problem is that same script has more layers than an Easter cake. More horror and less sub-plots could have made this production jump higher than a bunny on a sugar rush. While there are a few clever kills, most are cut away set pieces which can be forgiven on the films budget, one in particular will have the audience thinking twice about enjoying some milk chocolate this year. The script is not just too smart for its own good, it is obvious the lengthy dialogues were too much for the performers who bring about as much personality and passion to the project as a marshmallow peep. “Easter Bunny Massacre ” is definitely a film to watch this Easter, but will not be the kind of holiday horror classic that will be rewatched every year as eggs, bunnies, and crosses litter retail stores.
Scream Score: 6.2/10