Review of Red State (2011) by Brad R — 08 Dec 2011

The question is, can you review this movie separate from the events that surrounded its release? Director Kevin Smith seems to be a polarizing figure. Either people love him or hate him. I fall more on the former side. I like the guy and how open he is with his fan base. Having said that, I do not think everything Smith does is above criticism. The short version, if you don't know, is that Smith made this movie independently for $4 million. He took it to Sundance to auction it for distribution. However, he "won" the auction with a bid of $20. Many in the film industry took exception to this tactic and criticized Smith for his behavior. Smith was trying to make a point that, I believe, is very valid, but was lost in his approach. He did not want to make a movie for $4 million, sell it to a large company who would sink $20 million into marketing, release the movie and make $10 million, and then be told his movie failed. So he took to marketing it himself with the hope of earning the money back. I will say this for Smith. He does not spend money wildly when making movies, nor does he expect his movies to be box office hits.

So, how is the actual movie? Horror can be very broadly defined and this movie may not fit well into any category. So, if it's a horror movie, know that it is one that is light on gore and scare and more on drama and character actions. Although, there is plenty of violence in this movie, to be sure. I found it a very enjoyable movie. Clocking less than 90 minutes and the time flew by for me. A short build up in the opening act and then the action moves very fast.

The religious Cooper family, the antagonists, is loosely based on the Westboro Baptist Church (who are referenced in the movie). They are intolerant of others, but with the twist that they take action (read murder) those who they oppose. It is never fully explained why they are violent. My assumption is it is what's drives the movie and you just accept it without the need for long exposition. Maybe it's a minor error in character development, but nothing that can't be overcome. Stephen Root plays the town sheriff who is quickly discovered to be useless in dealing with the Coopers and he enlists the help of the ATF, lead by John Goodman. From this point, the movie is about a religious faction's battle with law enforcement. Without giving anything away, the movie delves into the topics of religion, law/government, good versus evil, and right versus wrong. The story does well at showing both sides in a shade of gray and not simple black and white this is right, that is wrong. It gives the viewer something to think about. Nothing that may change anyone's way of thinking, but some good points to consider.

The movie is filmed well and looks in between an independent and studio production in terms of film quality and scene layout. The only problem I had was a camera angle directly in front of a person who is running. It happens several times in the film and was something I didn't personally care for.

John Goodman and Michael Parks turn in outstanding performances. With all the knocks and negative comments on this film, these two performances stand above the criticism.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and can separate the film from the fanfare around it. If you can do that and are interested in a movie about religion, faith, and intolerance, you should enjoy this movie. I think it would be certainly worth your time to give it a try.