After watching it, I can safely say that it's Smith's best film to date, which in itself isn't the highest of praise. That trailer, combined with the solid cast Smith was able to line up, changed my tune, so I was excited to see the film available on pay-per-view. In fact, I had pretty much forgotten about it until I came across a trailer online. When I heard he would be tackling a horror film, I wasn't exactly enthused by the prospect, though horror is easily my favorite genre. While I liked "Mallrats", what I've seen of his other works has left me unimpressed. I've never considered myself a Kevin Smith fan. That being said, if you're in the mood for a rather crazy and violent film about a groups of religious nutjobs and some sex-craved teenagers then this is the film for you. God was actually reaching down and beginning the crazy stuff from the book of revelations (I'm not religious at all so my longing to see a film end like this is entirely based on entertainment value). The ending (which I'll try not to go into too much detail about) was bittersweet: while it ends in a rather comical fashion, I couldn't help but wish that there had been a huge twist at the end i.e. You begin to wonder how far a brainwashed group such as this would go in the name of religion. Despite referencing the Westboro Baptist Church as being "less-violent", it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to notice the similarities between their family and the one featured in Red State. I feel like with Red State, you have to begin watching it in a certain frame of mind, knowing that the plot will be rather straightforward but also frighteningly possible. I had been a bit reluctant to watch this film initially because it seemed like it would be hugely predictable and overall rather boring but after watching several somewhat random films, I found myself watching it and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
*Warning: Minor Spoiler Ahead" I gave this film an 8 although I do feel it deserved a 7.5 but I decided to round up.
From Westboro to Waco, stopping briefly for a night in a Hostel, Red State is not easily forgotten once sampled. In truth it's a fascinating failure, but it has merits enough to warrant time spent with it. Poor box office and bad reviews upon release inevitably got it tarnished as a bad film. It's impressively shot by Dave Klein and Smith shows flickers of there being a good director in the mix.
#RED STATE WATCHER PLUS#
On the major plus side is a cast doing fine work, headed by Goodman, Leo and Parks, the latter getting to play lead dog for a change. And sadly the climax to all the damaged threads is very anti-climatic. In fact there are three tonal shifts that don't make an altogether appetising whole, Smith straining to bridge the gap between satire and horror – cum – thriller.
#RED STATE WATCHER MOVIE#
Red State is an infuriating movie in many ways, but it is never dull and it always remains challenging, even if some of Smith's sermonising agendas lack cohesion entering the final third of the piece.
#RED STATE WATCHER CODE#
Of course once the lads get there it's not long before the truth of the lure is revealed and we are treated to hate spiel by sermon and some unpleasantness from the production code edition of the torture porn play book. Starring Melissa Leo, Michael Parks, John Goodman, Michael Angarano, Kerry Bishe and Nicholas Braun, story finds Parks heading up a Christian cult that lures horny youngsters to their place of worship on the promise of sex with an older woman. Kevin Smith breaks away from his comedic roots to direct and write this religious/political/bigot baiter that lurches from Hostel type madness into a siege of the damned. Title (Brazil): "Seita Mortal" ("Mortal Sect") The indulgent Kevin Smith made a twist in his career in Hollywood and "Red State" had potential to be a great movie but unfortunately it becomes an incoherent and inconsistent mess in the end with Keenan sparing the life of Abin Cooper after killing Jarod and the girl Cheyenne. Will the teenagers be saved by the agents of the law enforcement agency? "Red State" is a film by Kevin Smith with a promising beginning, but also a very disappointing conclusion. Meanwhile the church is under siege of ATF agents led by Agent Joseph Keenan (John Goodman) that have been ordered to destroy the terrorist cell. When the three friends wake-up, they find that they are trapped in the fundamentalist Five Points Trinity Church of the infamous Pastor Abin Cooper (Michael Parks) and that they will be killed. When they meet the woman, she gives spiked beer to them and they faint. While driving to meet the woman, Travis hit a car parked on the road.
The teenager Jarod (Kyle Gallner) invites his best friends Travis (Michael Angarano) and Billy-Ray (Nicholas Braun) to have a foursome with a thirty-eight year-old woman.