Movie review: Red State

Kevin Smith, who rose to prominence with Clerks and other raunchy, campy comedies (some more memorable than others) created a hell of a buzz with his newest release, Red State. He introduced a self-distribution model and insulted the work of film buyers at Sundance. For his fans, though, the biggest surprise came in the subject matter - could the director of the pretty-god-damn-awful Cop Out pull off a horror movie?

Not only did he pull it off, he makes you forget at times that you're watching a Kevin Smith movie. By pulling pages out of the Tarantino and Coen Brothers' stylebooks, Smith creates a very unique homage to the modern thriller genre that catches the viewer off guard in more ways than expected.

The film focuses on a family church... rather, cult... in middle America, immediately reminiscent of Fred Phelps and his God Hates Fags crew of funeral protestors. Protestors are seen at the funeral of a homosexual hate crime victim in the opening of the film. In a poorly written scene that feels like it was plagiarized from a cheesy 80's slasher flick, three students make plans for a sexual rendez-vous with a woman they met on the internet.

When the boys run into members of the church, the movie really begins. Michael Parks (Earl McGraw in a number of Tarantino movies) is the father and grandfather of the congregation and also the pastor, and delivers a masterfully acted sermon to the church. Melissa Leo is barely recognizeable as Parks' daughter. Once the shit starts to hit the fan, John Goodman is introduced as a federal agent whose field office has been investigating the church.

To call it a horror film isn't entirely accurate. What happens in the church is pretty fucking horrifying, but quickly evolves into a thriller with heavy action and intense violence. Inside the church, Michael Parks shines in every scene; outside the church, John Goodman is easily the only likeable character trying to make sense of what is transpiring in front of the audience. It's refreshing to see Goodman, and though he has clearly aged since his massive success in the 1990's he is as good an actor as he ever was.

Red State has been receiving very mixed reviews and I expect to see polarized reactions. Despite its glaring flaws (Kevin Smith, what happened to your ability to write razor sharp dialog?) I loved it; one review in particular called it a "failure on every level." Your mileage may vary, but if you're looking for Kevin Smith doing Tarantino and blasting religious fanatics in the process, I'd still recommend checking it out.

4/5