When I first saw Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” as an impressionable teenager, I was blown away. His smart-stupid sense of humor, laced with references to all the geeky pop culture I loved, made me feel like I was hearing from a particularly witty, unfiltered friend.
While my movie taste expanded as I got older, Smith’s sensibility has largely remained the same, and his subsequent filmography is full of insular efforts to recapture past glory. There are many worthwhile gems in there, too, and Smith has built up a substantial fan base catering to the same viewers who never stopped loving “Clerks.”
That fervent following will be eager to see the new restoration of Smith’s 1999 religious comedy “Dogma,” which hits theaters on June 5 after decades of disputes over distribution rights.
Here are my picks for the seven best Kevin Smith movies, ranked.
7. ‘Mallrats’
In some ways, Smith’s second movie is a watered-down, bigger-budget rehash of his indie debut “Clerks.” "Mallrats" has its own charms, though, including a top-notch alt-rock soundtrack that makes it a perfect 1990s time capsule.
Jeremy London and Jason Lee star as a pair of slacker best friends who spend their day wandering around a New Jersey shopping mall, scheming to get back together with their respective girlfriends, played by Claire Forlani and Shannen Doherty. Smith uses his expanded resources to score an extended cameo from Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee and stage some goofy set pieces related to a TV game show, and the movie has a good-natured, laid-back tone.
The jokes (especially from Smith’s signature Jay and Silent Bob characters) are hit and miss, but the characters are endearing, and the mall setting now has a warm, nostalgic feel.
Watch on Prime Video
6. ‘Dogma’
Smith’s religious epic has grown in reputation, in part thanks to its unavailability for nearly 25 years, and seeing the restored version is a reminder that it’s more ambitious than brilliant. There’s plenty of ambition, though, along with plenty of Smith’s trademark vulgar humor (including a monster literally made out of excrement).
Linda Fiorentino brings a grounded, edgy quality to her role as unwitting savior Bethany Sloane, an abortion clinic worker who is recruited to stop a pair of rogue angels (played by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) from exploiting a loophole in Catholic dogma and thus inadvertently ending all of existence.
The controversy surrounding the movie’s release seems quaint now, and its theological debates are relatively tame, although Smith delivers the material with the conviction of a lifelong religious seeker. It’s the same conviction he applies to the dick jokes, of course.
In theaters starting June 5
5. ‘Red State’
Smith’s first foray into horror looks even better now in light of his later slapdash efforts in the genre. There’s almost no juvenile humor in this tense thriller about a standoff at a religious compound, with outstanding performances from John Goodman as a morally compromised ATF agent and Michael Parks as a creepy cult leader.
The story begins with a trio of naïve teens getting lured into the fortress-like Five Points Trinity Church, where they’re set to be tortured and killed as examples of worldly sin. Smith shifts gears multiple times, leading up to a lengthy siege between Five Points and the ATF, once a local cop starts asking too many questions.
As in “Dogma,” Smith explores some major religious ideas within the framework of a heightened narrative, leaving both Goodman’s frazzled agent and the audience with as many questions as answers.
Watch on Prime Video
4. ‘The 4:30 Movie’
After a series of self-indulgent disappointments, Smith’s most recent film is his best in years, a sweet coming-of-age story inspired by his own teenage experiences movie-hopping at a local theater.
Shot mostly at the New Jersey theater that Smith himself co-owns, “The 4:30 Movie” is set on a single day in May 1986, when high schooler Brian David (Austin Zajur) finally asks his crush Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong) out on a date.
Their plan to see a movie at 4:30 is derailed by various misadventures as Brian and his two best friends spend hours sneaking from one movie into another, while attempting to avoid the tyrannical theater manager (Ken Jeong).
The young actors — including Reed Northrup and Nicholas Cirillo as Brian’s friends — have relaxed, winning chemistry, the romance is cute without becoming cloying, and the cameos from Smith’s famous friends are smoothly integrated.
3. ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’
Smith’s big swing to become a mainstream comedy kingpin like Judd Apatow was a box-office failure, but it’s probably his most accessible, crowd-pleasing film, even if it does feature a porn star defecating on someone’s face.
Seth Rogen turns out to be perfect for a Smith film, and he and Elizabeth Banks make for an appealing couple as the best friends who need to have sex on camera in order to realize that they’re in love with each other. Smith earns every beat of the predictable rom-com plot, so that it means something when the characters finally get together.
Smith also offers a twisted tribute to indie filmmaking, via the inept but heartfelt amateur adult film that Zack and Miri create. No one would actually want to watch their movie, but more people should check out Smith’s underrated one.
2. ‘Chasing Amy’
Pretty much all Smith movies (even the weirdest ones) are personal movies, but “Chasing Amy” feels like Smith’s most emotionally raw act of self-expression. Many aspects of its depiction of queer culture haven’t aged well, but it was also ahead of its time in its honesty about sexual fluidity.
Ben Affleck gives the best of his many Smith performances as comic-book creator Holden McNeil, who falls desperately in love with fellow artist Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). The only problem is that Alyssa is gay, although that proves to be less of an obstacle to their romance than it first appears.
While the story could be regarded as a male wish-fulfillment fantasy, Smith doesn’t take the easy way out, making Alyssa into a complex character and challenging Holden’s often sexist assumptions, along with the homophobia of his best friend, Banky (Jason Lee).
1. ‘Clerks’
Smith’s first movie is still his best, capturing a kind of unvarnished enthusiasm that he’s never quite been able to replicate.
Produced on a tiny budget, shot in the convenience store where Smith actually worked, and cast mostly with his friends, “Clerks” is a clever and engaging tribute to working a dead-end job and trying to find meaning in a seemingly empty existence.
Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson are unpolished and sometimes awkward as the title characters, but that makes their interactions feel more authentic, as they deal with a parade of awful customers over the course of a single workday.
Although it’s more of a collection of subplots than a cohesive story, “Clerks” never feels aimless or unfocused, always coming back to the theme of taking back a small bit of control over everyday life. It’s a landmark of the 1990s indie cinema boom, and a genuine classic.
Watch on Paramount Plus
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