Red State (2011)

Best known for his character Silent Bob (of Jay and Silent Bob fame) and his Askewniverse flicks such as Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy, director Kevin Smith steps out of his comfort zone and tries his hand at something new: religious/political satire. Thinking out of the box has proven disastrous for Smith in the past with major flops Jersey Girl and Cop Out, but it seems that this director has found his footing in this genre.

Red State tells the story of three teenage boys in the American South who are offered a night of raunchy sex by one of the daughters of Abin Cooper, the head of the fundamental Christian family cult the Five Points Church. The only stipulation is that the boys must travel out to Cooper's Dell, the plantation upon which the church is situated, and where every member of the Cooper family lives. Sara Cooper drugs the boys, and when they awaken, they find themselves tied up in the Cooper's Dell church where they witness the brutal murder of a supposedly homosexual man. A frantic escape attempt ensues with casualties on both sides and AFT agents are forced to attempt to diffuse the situation when it is revealed that the Coopers are "gun nuts."

The fictional Cooper family is loosely based upon the Phelps family of the Westboro Baptist Church, according to the director, and yet some clever dialogue in the film clearly distinguishes the real from the imagined.

The cast of Red State is made up of a talented cast that is largely unknown to the world of mainstream film. Michael Angarano, Nicholas Braun and Kyle Gallner play the three boys, Travis, Billy- Ray and Jared, respectively. Angarano, of former Disney fame, proves he can handle more serious subject matter, while Gallner, who fans will know from Veronica Mars, gives a powerful performance as a desperate, frightened young man.

Quentin Tarantino favourite Michael Parks plays the patriarch Abin Cooper with a fear-inducing ferocity. John Goodman brings to life a clever ATF agent who delivers many of the flick's smartest lines, and Smith's own wife, Jennifer Schwalbach, takes on the role of one of the Cooper daughters. One of the younger, more independent-minded Coopers, Cheyenne is played by Kerry Bishé, who gives a tear-jerking performance as she convinces the audience that she cares more for the children than for herself.

Red State on the whole isn't exactly a horror flick; yes, there are horrific elements to it, but it's much more of a dark satire than anything else. Smith's clever dialogue makes the fundamental beliefs of the Coopers seem ignorant and childish, and the reactions from the characters who are not part of the family harshly criticize the existence of religious cults.

If you have strong feelings about religion, or about certain aspects of religion, a quick warning that this movie may come across as offensive. But if you're a Kevin Smith fan with a good sense of dark humour, then Red State is more than worth your time.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars