Review of Red State (2011) by Andrew V — 04 Jan 2012

I like Kevin Smith. I think he's a funny writer and seems like an overall nice guy. However, he's not held in a very high regard when it comes to filmmaking technique, and for good reason. A lot of his films tend to have static shots, uninspiring editing, and sometimes lazy production value. He's a screenwriter first and foremost, director second. This seemed to be very evident when he made "Cop Out", a film he didn't write. It was panned by critics and bombed at the box-office. It is still the only Kevin Smith film I haven't seen, but from the few minutes I caught on TV, I'm glad I didn't. It was pretty horrible.

Now comes "Red State", a personal project Smith had been wanting to make for years. It debuted at Sundance where he bought the rights to the film himself and has since gone on a nation-wide tour to promote it. Having seen it, I can't help think Smith made this to prove himself to the world that he can, in fact, direct a movie. And prove himself he has. It is by far his most well-directed film.

For starters, he has never made a film like "Red State". It's dark, it's violent, and the comedy is set to a minimum. The look of the movie is very indie and the editing is quick and edgy. It's also all over the place. It starts off as a slasher type film: three teenage boys go on a trip looking for sex. I say slasher and not comedy because the tone is dark. It then ventures into torture porn, a genre I detest (but Smith handles it very well). And it ends with the final forty minutes being a grand shootout piece. A weaker screenplay would make this movie a mess, but it actually works for the most part. The hour and a half running time breezes by; I actually found it kind of short.

The performances were very well done, Michael Parks being the highlight as the crazed leader of a religious cult. Melissa Leo was good as well, doing a complete U-turn from her role as Mark Wahlberg's mother in "The Fighter". And it's always a treat to watch John Goodman.

Now, the cons of this movie. There were really no lead characters in "Red State". You think it's the teenage boys, but in the second half, the screen is dominated by Michael Parks who delivers a brilliant ten minute monologue. But then in the third act, it's John Goodman as the special agent who is sent to take down the cult. Also, I felt the film was trying to be too many things, and it ended up not being one genre. It wasn't horror, it wasn't an action film, it wasn't a drama, and it definitely wasn't a comedy, although it had all those elements. That can be perfectly fine, but normally one genre dominates all others.

Regardless though, "Red State" is a fun, entertaining film with Kevin Smith showing all the talents I always suspected he had. This may sound stupid... but I'm proud of him. He has made a film that showcases his directing capabilities. I'll even say this is his first film where the direction is better than the script. If you're a Kevin Smith fan, this is a must-watch. I'm really excited for his next movie now.