Dig in: The 10 most indulgent movies to watch over Easter
I’m writing this with a tummy ache after cracking into my first giant chocolate egg of the season. Easter is upon us, and after giving up our sins and weaknesses for Lent, they’ve all hit back hard with the most indulgent holiday around. It might be a time for resurrection, but that’s always a lofty task once the sweets have been put away, the bin filled with wrappers and all the mini eggs demolished. A long brisk walk might bring you back to life, but surrendering to the feeling with a good film and a comfy sofa works, too.
Decadence and indulgence have been captured in films time and time again in so many different forms. It can be thrown around as an insult if a movie feels too self-congratulating or obsessed with itself or if it overdoes whatever it’s trying to do, like a visual equivalent of eating till you’re sick. Decadence can also come in the form of big, glossy period pieces like Baz Luhrmann’s luxurious The Great Gatsby or the vast settings of Jane Austen adaptations.
But that’s not what we’re interested in here. To celebrate the most gluttonous event of the year, these films are designed to make your mouth water. You know that feeling when you see food on the screen and are instantly hit with a strong desire to reach in and grab it? These movies are made to make you feel like that.
From macaroons and cakes to animated ramen, chocolate carnage to orderly and satisfying chef scenes, these ten films show indulgence in every possible form. As a veritable feast for the eyes in more ways than one, they capture food and its social element perfectly.
So, while you let the stomach ache die off, watch these to make room for more.
The 10 most indulgent movies to watch over Easter:
Chef (2014)
There is one scene that earns Chef a spot here. It’s a scene so memorable for its deliciousness that I saw this film ten years ago now and still routinely think about it. It comes crawling back to me and hits like a craving, leaving me running to get bread, cheese, butter and a hot pan.
Who knew a grilled cheese could look so good? Or that a scene about one could be so gripping? But as Jon Favreau lays the bread down with layers of different cheeses, pressing it against a hot griddle until it gets perfect golden brown and crispy, cinema audiences everywhere were left with their mouths watering.
Eat Pray Love (2010)
Could any film be more perfect for easter? I don’t think so. Even though Julia Roberts isn’t heading to church for Easter mass for her ‘pray’ era, her journey from directionless dieting divorcee to a food and life loving hippie is an inspiring journey.
There’s a scene in the ‘eat’ era, where the protagonist, Elizabeth, is in Italy. Chowing down on pizza in Napoli, her friend talks about her jeans not fitting anymore, rejecting her next slice. What follows is a speech everyone should hear about the stupidness of depriving yourself of the best parts of life for fear of your appearance or what others might think. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re doing to finish this pizza,” she says, “and then tomorrow we’re going to go on a little date to go buy bigger jeans.” Here, here!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012)
If you’re after something healthier and more high-brow, hit play on Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The documentary pays a visit to Jiro Ono, the man considered to be the best sushi chef in the world. His tiny restaurant in a subway station has been awarded three Michelin stars. It only seats ten people and takes reservations through a luxury hotel, so it’s one of the hardest restaurants to get into. But in this documentary, you get full access.
Not only do the plates and sushi bites look incredible, but this is a genuinely fascinating watch to deals with culture, the way food interplays with social lives and even the ethics of food as Ono discusses issues surrounding overfishing and the environment. It’s always great to watch a master at work, and this doc follows the best of the best.
Julie & Julia (2009)
Nora Ephron takes on a culinary legend in this sickly, sweet biographical comedy. It’s the most heartwarming of stories at Julie Powell decided to tackle the monotony of her life by cooking her way through Julia Child’s cookbook, My Life In France, documenting it on a blog. The posts quickly gained attention, resulting in a book deal for the new amateur chef.
The film retells that story with plenty of tummy-rumbling shots of the recipes and satisfying scenes tracing the process as Julie takes on the Parisian classics. And as Ephron draws parallels with Julia Child’s own life, the duel plots provide double the deliciousness. Soul-affirming, sweet and perfect for an Easter Sunday with the family, what else would you expect from the director?
Marie Antoinette (2006)
“Let them eat cake!” That’s perhaps the most famously misquoted line in all of history. “That’s such nonsense, I would never say that,” Sofia Coppola’s protagonist rebuffs, correcting the historians as Marie Antoinette actually never uttered those words. The lingering reputation of the First Lady of France, who was also the queen of indulgence, was very, very true.
As ‘I Want Candy’ plays aptly in the background, the queen is treated to a feast of cakes, macarons, shoes, clothes, bags, everything. The sweet treats in this scene, along with the regular shots of the queen and king sitting at their feasting table, each ordering whatever they want, look delicious. Filmed with Coppola’s distinctive cool glamour and girlishness, the food looks as pretty as a picture.
Matilda (1996)
If the notorious cake scene at the centre of Matilda is supposed to warn against gluttony, why make the cake look so delicious? As Bruce demolishes that entire three-layer, frosting-coated monstrosity, it always looks so moist and gooey. It really does look like the best chocolate cake in the world, so it’s easy to see why Miss Trunchable was so gutted about him stealing her slice.
There are several more indulgent moments in Matilda as the spirtly kid discovers her magical side. The scene of the chocolate box always made me want to reach in and grab one, while the mystical pancake-making montage had me craving a syrupy stack. As good for the heart and soul as it is for the stomach and eyes, it’s a film that never lets you down.
Ratatouille (2007)
Ratatouille isn’t just an animated delight, but it can also be considered the pivotal moment when an entire generation of children decides they might like to try some vegetables. If, of course, prepared by a lovable rat. The scene where the grumpy restaurant critic takes his first bite of the beautifully arranged dish, sending him spiralling back into the happy memories of his childhood, is a culinary experience I think we’re all looking for.
Sure, it’s a bit off-putting that the food is made by a rat, but Disney and Pixar always make those animated dishes look so good. As another family-friendly film all about food, it’s a perfectly brainless movie to stick on after a roast dinner or watch as you pick at the scraps of an Easter egg.
Studio Ghibli films
Pixar still has some way to go, however, as it is Studio Ghibli who are the masters of animated food. In every one of their films, there is some scene of some comfort food that is somehow made to look like the most appealing thing in the world. Howl’s Moving Castle will leave you craving a simple but perfectly done breakfast of eggs and bacon, cooked obediently by Calcifer the flame.
In Spirited Away, there is a visual feast of fluffy steamed buns and big bowls of curry. Across other films like My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo or Kiki’s Delivery Service, there are shots of pies, ramen and bento boxes that each look so incredibly appetising there are whole youtube channels dedicated to trying to recreate them.
Tampopo (1985)
If you can’t handle any more sweets, Tampopo appeals to the savoury side. This is an entire film about ramen as the protagonists help out the widow of a noodle shop owner as she tries to find the perfect recipe. Dubbed the first “ramen Western” as a play on the genre of Spaghetti Western, it’s surprisingly dramatic for a film about noodles.
Naturally, Tampopo has plenty of food shots, and each bowl of ramen is given a close-up, as if it were a Hollywood glamour shot. With spirling pink fishcakes, rich savoury broths and slurping strings of noodles, it’ll make you want to grab a pan and serve up your own.
Willy Wonka (1971) / Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) / Wonka (2023)
Obviously, Roald Dahl’s chocolate-fueled tale had to be included in some way, but we’ll leave it up to you to pick your poison. The original 1971 makes Gene Wilder’s version of the chocolate factory look most delicious as the families wander around the initial fairy-like location with the chocolate river, eating a kind of mish-mash pick and mix of plants and toadstools that all look amazing.
The 2005 remake, however, seems to really nail chocolate, making all the bars look glossier and richer. In the most recent take with Timothée Chalamet, Wonka has all kinds of treats in the more mythical retelling. Each as decadent as the last, they’re really the ultimate sweet-tooth movies.
