Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar
Written by: Kate Angelo and Ken Cheng
Starring: Jo Koy, Eugene Cordero, Tia Carrere, Asif Ali, Lou Diamond Phillips
Lydia Gaston, Brandon Wardell, Carly Pope, Melody Butiu, Joey Guila, and Tiffany Haddish
We have all been tortured through large family gatherings, whether they are planned yearly events, or not. Enter comedian Jo Koy, playing his alter-ego, Joe Valencia, who is heading home to see his crazy mama Susan (Lydia Gaston) on one of her favorite holidays, Easter. Yes, once again it seems that he is caving to the pressure of her begging him for weeks on end, to come home and see his family!
And of course, if you are going to be tortured by your family, you have to include your son Junior (Brandon Wardell) in all the pain and agony too, as what’s a family gathering without everyone you truly love, being miserable, right by your side…
Now, with the road trip over, and all the siblings, cousins, and crazy Aunts Tito Yvonne and Tito Theresa gathered round the table, buckle in, and get ready for the most agonizing get-together in years, as Cousin Eugene’s latest business deal, has brought a few mean and nasty dudes into all their lives…and it doesn’t look these thugs are going to be leaving the party, any time soon…
I give EASTER SUNDAY a rating of 1 out 5 stars: I was so hoping that this film would be able to bring as much joy to my heart as 2018’s CRAZY RICH ASIANS, and also bring excitement to our Philippino culture in this country, as they receive representation of their culture, on the big screen. But sadly, as I watched this film at the advanced screening, it became more and more impossible to get engaged with with this one. At the onset of this film, I was anxious to see if Koy’s stand-up comedy could bring this film to life, but even a chuckle or two, here or there, couldn’t revitalize this films incredibly dull and unimpressive storyline, and I’m usually a big softy when it comes to family-style movies. This film was so lackluster in every direction, that it seemed every 15 minutes or so, I was gazing at my watch, wondering how much longer, which should never happen in a film that is only an hour and a half long. I also couldn’t believe how dull the performances ended up being throughout, as I kept searching for a glimmer of some excitement, or some really engaging dialogue to finally bring me in to what was happening on screen, but as every scene went passing by, EASTER SUNDAY seemed to become less entertaining! I hate writing reviews for films that underwhelm me, as I know a lot of time, effort and money was put into the creation of this film, by many, many people, who thought for sure they were doing a fabulous job, and that they were making something that would be entertaining to the masses. Sadly for me, it’s just wasn’t. I have made it my goal as a film critic to always share the truth, from my perspective, and I cannot lie to my followers and readers when it comes to spending their cold hard cash on a movie, so, with that said, I must conclude with the fact that EASTER SUNDAY ended up being the biggest theatrical disappointment for me personally, so far, in 2022…
1/5
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 