Scream Bloody Entertainment

Fear God

Three unsuspecting teenagers looking to get laid are captured by a cult of religious fanatics who plan on making an example of them.

- high shock value
- unconventional and fresh
- some really impressive camera work
- John Goodman and Michael Parks
- brilliant finale
- the sermon scene

- lack of a protagonist
- plagued by cliches of the genre
- zero character development
- the sudden shift in tone halfway through

- moderate violence and gore
- low scares and frightening scenes
- moderate nudity and sexual themes
- high profanity

- trying to get laid through the internet never works out well
- religion and assault rifles go hand in hand
- sirens are awesome
- God actually disapproves of a lot of things

One would expect religious fanaticism, shock value and fast-paced gun action to be an unstable mix, but for the most part, Red State pulls it off pretty well. Proving to be quite a departure from Kevin Smith's usual fare, this film makes for a thoroughly interesting and unconventional ride, despite stumbling about at certain points. On a technical level, Red State shines, delivering solid cinematography and editing, excellent camera work, and some really inspired directing from Smith's part. Unfortunately, the film is also filled with cliches of the horror genre, and some parts of it are far better than others, ultimately making for a terribly bipolar experience. While Red State may not rank among Kevin Smith's best work, it's definitely his most mature and ambitious film to date.

horror meter: 3 fundamentalist stars (out of 5)