Review of Red State (2011) by Chris T — 07 Jun 2013
Red State (2011) -- [6.0] -- I love horror movies, and nothing scares me more than religious conviction. So I had high hopes for Kevin Smith's "Red State." The funny man (Clerks, Chasing Amy) does right by the horror genre and delivers a mostly thrilling hour and fifteen minutes, including a protracted Waco-style standoff where anything goes.
Smith gets dangerous, willing to kill any character at any time. Fifteen minutes before the end, the movie gets unpredictable -- it has the potential to be a lot of things, to be awesome. And that's where it quickly falls apart.
Smith gets too tempted to put a fine point on the material, and in the dryest way possible (reminding me of "Psycho," another good movie with a terrible ending). But at least it's a good ride up until then.
Michael Parks turns in a spooky performance as a Fred Phelps-like preacher, and it's great to see John Goodman in the role of an agent determined not to let the situation spiral out of control.
This review of Red State (2011) was written by Chris T on 07 Jun 2013.
Red State has generally received mixed reviews.
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