Red State

2/4

Starring: Michael Parks, John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano, Melissa Leo

Rated R for Strong Violence/Disturbing Content, Some Sexual Content including Brief Nudity, and Pervasive Language

After viewing Kevin Smith’s little-seen but much talked about horror flick “Red State,” two things are apparent: one, he’s not a Fred Phelps booster (is there anyone outside his freaky little cult that is?), and two, he should probably stick to a genre in which he understands the rules.

Three friends, Travis (Angarano), Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun) and Jarrod (Gallner) find a woman who is offering free sex just 30 miles away.  Being the horny teenagers they are, they jump at the chance.  It isn’t long before they’ve been drugged and held captive by the local religious fanatics, the Cooper clan.  They’re a terrifying bunch, led by the Fred Phelps-ish Abin Cooper (a positively chilling Parks).  But they’ve got an agenda to rid the world of sin, and it isn’t long before their compound turns into a war zone.

Smith’s distaste for Fred Phelps and what he stands for is obvious, and apart from changing the names and inserting a throwaway reference to the real one, does little to hide it.  They’re virulently homophobic, compromised almost solely of family members, and protest homosexuality at funerals.  The only reason why this doesn’t come across as offensive is because Smith uses this as an examination of religious fanaticism.  It’s perfunctory and not especially enlightening, but it is well-acted and credible.

There are two big problems with the film.  First off, it’s violent to the point of becoming distasteful.  Maybe it’s because the trio of actors playing the teens are so good, or because they actually look like high schoolers, the things that they are subjected to are so disturbing that it becomes off-putting.  Instead of being merely scared, I was thinking to myself, “I don’t want to see this.  I don’t need to see this.”  The second reason is that apart from the aforementioned teens and a young cult member who wants to get out (none of whom, however, have much screen time), there isn’t a single likable person on screen.  Every character with significant screen time is either a lunatic or a self-serving asshole.

The film is well-made.  It is scary, and the action scenes are well-choreographed for the most part.  Smith does shake the camera, but he does so effectively (unlike some other filmmakers, who shall remain nameless).  The acting is also strong; all of the cast members give great performances, especially Michael Parks.  Had the film been less repugnant, one could rightly mention him in the same paragraph as Hannibal Lector.  Unfortunately, his attempts to add humor to the proceedings (one-liners and such), come across as distasteful.  They alter the film’s already uncertain tone for the worse.

There’s no denying that the film is ambitious.  It contains elements of horror, political satire and action thrillers, but it does so in an unappealing way.  I have no doubt that this film could have been great had it been handled better, but that would require a defter touch than Smith has.