SummaryThree horny high-school boys come across an online ad from an older woman looking for sex. Boys being boys, they hit the road to satisfy their erotic curiosity. But what begins as a fantasy takes a dark turn as they come face-to-face with a terrifying "holy" force with a fatal agenda. (Phase 4 Films)
Directed By:Kevin Smith
Written By:Kevin Smith
Red State
Metascore
Mixed or Average
50
User score
Generally Favorable
6.3
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
22% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
67% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
11% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Sep 22, 2011
75
Red State is as profane and anti-establishment as any of his other films, but the stakes are infinitely higher this time: This Kevin Smith movie has an astonishing body count.
Sep 21, 2011
67
Red State is gloriously unencumbered by fidelity to genre conventions, which lends it a thrilling element of unpredictability even when the action frequently grows shrill and heavy-handed.
User score
Generally Favorable
52% Positive
53 Ratings
53 Ratings
32% Mixed
32 Ratings
32 Ratings
16% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
Dec 20, 2011
10
Is this really a Kevin Smith film? The stylized dialogue is most certainly his but the relentless seriousness is a brand new feather in his cap. A Tarantino-esque thrill ride fraught with moralistic angst in this plausible plot of the battle of good verses evil becoming evil verses good. Christian fundamentalist executioners in a range war with a "take no prisoners" government agency is the theme that is subtly underpinned by memorable characters for their very human characteristics. Raw yet believable acting abounds in this freakish "what if" storyline. Anything but fantasy it will have your nerve ends jangling at the harsh reality on offer, there are next to no excuses on offer for the in-your-face subject matter and the way it is presented.
As hinted at, Smith has taken a massive step away from his tongue in cheek, humour driven main body of work and given us reason to believe that his talent pool is far deeper than suspected, and via Red State we get a precursor to that certain unforgettable masterpiece that will undoubtedly set him firmly on the plateau of great writer/directors.
Dec 8, 2014
9
A fantastic film that comes out of nowhere. Kevin Smith is a down to earth guy, comes from nothing, and makes himself into something. Sure he has had some completely terrible films, but this is not one of them. The film has doesn't have twists, but what it does have is misdirection. You never know what way the film is going to go, flipping perspectives and often at times making you change your own point of view. For instance at the start you clearly know who the bad guys are, but as the movie progresses you find yourself doubting your opinion on them. Not because they are good people but because of how things have turned out in the film. The best part is how it picks apart conventions and cliches you'd usually find in a horror movie or any movie for that matter. This film isn't afraid to get its hands dirty and offers originality in both its execution and its look.
Sep 17, 2011
60
Red State is cleverly contrarian enough to get a rise out of almost any audience.
Oct 20, 2011
50
It's a charming if conspicuously unfinished film, a half-riotous, half-idiotic send-up of the teen horror genre with a vaguely hip political twist.
Sep 22, 2011
50
For all its boisterous profanity and splattery violence, the film is more of a weary sigh than a sputtering volley of indignation.
Sep 17, 2011
40
This sloppily constructed horror-thriller lacks the satirical bite and action chops to skewer extreme-right-wing zealots with the gusto Smith clearly feels they deserve, instead evincing the verbal incontinence and slack tension that have long dogged the writer-director's work.
Sep 30, 2011
20
Ugly characterizations and simplistic preachiness negate the terror in Red State - a film that eventually proves horrific in ways unintended by writer/director Kevin Smith.
Nov 28, 2021
8
I will say after cop out and Zach and Miri this was quite the pallet refresher for me for Kevin Smith. I would say if this is type of straight horror movies he makes keep pumping them out. To me it was a big call back to some of the more gritty and serious horror movies from decades past overall very successful movie in his pantheon of great movies.
Jan 25, 2023
6
2011 thriller movie. A few young people are going to be with the woman they met online. They are then knocked out by the woman. When they open their eyes, they find themselves imprisoned in a church. The sermon is given and the listeners are families who have come with their children. In the meantime, I will sign the sermon given by the Father. But this congregation imposes the death penalty on homosexuals and those who engage in illegitimate relationships. As this figure progresses, the movie suddenly turns into a war movie. Everyone is guilty in the movie. The interesting thing is that the events are inspired by real events. The movie is not above average.
May 2, 2016
5
Red State is an interesting offering from writer/director Kevin Smith. A unique take on the whole Westboro Baptist Church nonsense, except if they were heavily armed domestic terrorists, Red State is a compelling film. There are certainly moments of pure terror to be found here and it is most certainly well-directed by Smith in that regard. However, he abandons all of these into a sea of bullets and ends it in truly anti-climactic fashion. These are both major negatives, but this really combine with the bad acting from most of our young leads (the older folks do pretty well, especially John Goodman). The comedic aspects here are oddly placed and while some do hit, most are just truly awkward and miss the mark. Incredibly inspired by the 70's/80's teenage slasher flicks before it, Red State is classic Kevin Smith fare, especially in the fact that something about it feels oddly unsatisfying.
Nov 6, 2025
2
There was a good movie in here somewhere with some decent star power in John Goodman, but the movie fell apart as soon as Michael Parks entered the scene as the main protagonist. If there is an Oscar for overacting, he would take it hands down. It totally destroyed the movie for me and that is a shame. Aside from that glaring shortcoming, the movie was rushed and the classic good vs evil story was just not developed enough to carry it thru to the end....where it totally and regretfully fell flat.
Dec 29, 2012
2
The weak effort of a thriller sinks into parody status as laughable acting front lines making viewers question 'Is this a real movie?' as homophobic rants and a hypocritical plot puts the audience in a dire situation... wishing for an end to this terrible film. One of the things that stood out to me about this film is just how stupid the characters were, using sheer homophobia to justify these un-holy acts of terror. Along with the fact that 99.9% of the characters are un-attractive, this film could easily be said one of the hardest things top watch.
Production Company:
- NVSH Productions
- The Harvey Boys
Release Date:Oct 19, 2011
Duration:1 h 28 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Fear God
Website:
Awards
Fright Meter Awards
• 6 Nominations
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
