Easter weekend is here again and if you don’t fancy going to the cinema to check out new releases like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and The Drama or current hits like Project Hail Mary, then there’s plenty of great movies on UK TV this weekend.
From an “excellent” period drama with Benedict Cumberbatch and Matthew Goode to a classic ’90s action-thriller with Keanu Reeves via a timeless Pixar masterpiece, there are movies for all tastes on this weekend.
To help out, we’ve trawled through the schedules for BBC One, BBC Two, ITV and Channel 4 to pick out nine of the best movies to watch on TV this weekend. (Don’t fancy a movie? Check out the best TV boxsets to binge instead.)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
NBC Universal
Saturday 4 April, 2.10pm on BBC One
With a near-perfect 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the highest-rated movie in the Shrek series. That might sound like an outrageous stat, but one watch of this brilliant animation will make it understandable.
An all-star cast, including Olivia Colman and Florence Pugh, joined returning stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek for a hilarious and inventive outing as Puss in Boots attempts to restore eight of his nine lives.
The Outfit
Courtesy of Rob Youngson/Focus Features/Shutterstock//Shutterstock
Saturday 4 April, 10.50pm on BBC One
You’re always in safe hands with Mark Rylance. In ’50s-set thriller The Outfit, he plays an expert tailor who needs to outwit a group of mobsters to protect his family and survive a fateful night.
It’s an old-fashioned thriller told with plenty of old-fashioned craft, the type of movie that’ll make you say that ‘they don’t make them like they used to’. Sure, it was made only a few years ago, but it feels classic.
Prey
Photo Credit: David Bukach//20th Century Studios
Saturday 4 April, 11pm on Channel 4
We’ve raved about Predator prequel Prey on this site plenty of times since its release in 2022, but we can never resist another chance to highlight the excellent sci-fi which revitalised the classic series.
Set in 1719, it sees young warrior Naru (a brilliant Amber Midthunder) take on the Predator which might seem like a mismatch, but then when you see their showdown, you’ll realise it’s actually the Predator that’s out of its depth.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Silver Screen Collection//Getty Images
Sunday 5 April, 2.30pm on ITV1
Yes, we might have returned to Roald Dahl’s world with Wonka, which turned out to be better than some feared. However, you can never beat the original and there’s no better time than Easter to rewatch it.
So as you’re surrounded by chocolate, why not put on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and let the wonderful Gene Wilder take you to a world of pure imagination on Easter Sunday. It truly never gets old.
Toy Story 3
Disney/Pixar
Sunday 5 April, 5.10pm on Channel 4
Talking of timeless, Toy Story 3 is also on Sunday afternoon if you can handle some emotional trauma this weekend. Sure, there are fun moments, but you’ll still remember the furnace sequence the most.
You can even enjoy a triple-bill if you want as the first two movies are available to watch right now on Channel 4’s streaming service, with the third movie joining them after its broadcast on Sunday afternoon.
The Imitation Game
Jack English/Black Bear Pictures
Sunday 5 April, 10pm on BBC Two
An all-star British cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Rory Kinnear and Matthew Goode, bring the story of Alan Turing to life in the superb period drama The Imitation Game which, at times, plays like a gripping thriller.
It’s a favourite of critics (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and viewers alike, with one fan on IMDb calling it “British cinema at its finest”, adding: “An excellent piece of cinema that proves that there’s still an audience for mature, thought-provoking drama.”
Hot Fuzz
Focus/Kobal/Shutterstock
Sunday 5 April, 10.15pm on ITV1
Honestly, it’d be more of a surprise if Hot Fuzz wasn’t on TV this weekend as it feels like barely a week goes by without it being on one of the ITV channels. There’s a reason for that though as it’s still terrific no matter how many times you watch it.
The second instalment of the Cornetto Trilogy did for the action genre what Shaun of the Dead did for horror. It’s a pitch-perfect homage to the action classics that isn’t also afraid to have a joke at their expense too.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Murray Close/Lionsgate
Sunday 5 April, 10.30pm on BBC One
Ahead of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping arriving in cinemas this November, prequel movie The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes receives its terrestrial premiere this Easter on BBC One. You can even watch all previous four movies on BBC iPlayer right now if you want a binge-watch.
The prequel follows Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) as he mentors District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in the 10th annual Hunger Games, delivering everything we’ve come to expect from a Hunger Games movie – as well as some bonus musical performances too. (It makes sense, trust us.)
Speed
20th Century Fox
Sunday 5 April, midnight on Channel 4
OK, so this might be on a bit late if you’ve had a big Easter Sunday lunch and just need a nap. However, a rewatch of Speed will likely give you enough energy to power you through to the early hours.
But if you really can’t face watching the Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock ’90s action classic at midnight, then you can also stream it right now on Disney+.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.