The 4:30 Movie, the sixteenth feature film from director Kevin Smith, is now in theatres (you can read a review by JoBlo’s own Alex Maidy at THIS LINK), and to mark the occasion we have decided to look back over Smith’s entire directing career and assemble a list of Kevin Smith Movies Ranked, from #16 to #1. This list doesn’t represent everything Smith has done; you won’t find movies he did uncredited rewrites on (like Overnight Delivery) or wrote for someone else to direct (Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie), or even the segment he contributed to the anthology horror film Holidays. For this list, we’re only covering the features that had him at the helm. And here we go…
KillRoy Was Here (2022)
While recording an episode of the Edumacation podcast, Smith and co-host Andy McElfresh “accidentally brainstormed a Christmas horror anthology” that would revolve around the child-eating creature known as Krampus… but when Michael Dougherty’s Krampus movie was released, the anthology script was reworked and Krampus was replaced with a new character called KillRoy, inspired by the “Kilroy was here” graffiti that became popular during World War II, showing a long-nosed man peeking over a fence. This KillRoy was a cannibalistic soldier in the Vietnam War who was locked up in a mental institution and left to burn when the place caught on fire. Now he’s a supernatural being who stalks the Florida swamps – and this movie, which was made on a minuscule budget as a project with film students at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida (and has only been released through NFTs and special screenings), lets him slash his way through a few different bloody stories. This was a fun concept with franchise potential, even though the mythology doesn’t always hold up from one story to the next.
Yoga Hosers (2016)
With his walrus horror movie Tusk, Smith kicked off what he referred to as his True North trilogy, a trio of movies about weird events occurring in Canada. The second chapter in this trilogy, Yoga Hosers centers on Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp) and Colleen McKenzie (Harley Quinn Smith), teenage clerks from the Canadian convenience store Eh-2-Zed who had minor roles in Tusk. Here, they find that something evil is lurking around their place employment – so the girls, aided by Johnny Depp as Quebecois manhunter Guy Lapointe, a role he previously played in Tusk, have to fight back to keep the evil at bay. Yoga Hosers has been described as “Clueless meets Ghoulies” because the evil in question involves tiny terrors called Bratzis, foot tall Canadian Nazis made of sentient bratwurst who have concentrated sauerkraut for blood and kill people by crawling up their asses and out their mouths. As you can tell from that description, this is a wild and weird movie, although it’s only about as edgy as a Disney Channel special. Fans are still waiting for Smith to complete the True North trilogy with the killer moose tale Moose Jaws.
Cop Out (2010)
Cop Out is an anomaly in the career of Kevin Smith, as it’s the one feature film he has directed that he didn’t write. The screenplay was written by Robb and Mark Cullen and had been going around under the title A Couple of Dicks for a while by the time Smith signed on. James Gandolfini and Robin Williams were up for the lead roles at one point and Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell were in the running at another, but Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan ended up starring in this story of buddy cops, drug smugglers, an extravagant wedding, and a stolen baseball card. Smith did this movie as an experiment, because he wanted to see how the big studio marketing machine worked (this was a Warner Bros. release) – and also because he was a big fan of Willis. Unfortunately, he had a miserable time working with the icon, who was grumpy and uncooperative on the set. But even though Willis wasn’t “there to play” and Cop Out has a terrible reputation, it’s a fine, middle-of-the-road movie with some funny moments and some nice action. Smith assembled a great cast around Willis and leaned into the fact that he was working in a sub-genre that was perfected in the ’80s, even hiring Harold Faltermeyer, the composer known for his work on Beverly Hills Cop and Fletch, to provide the score.
Clerks III (2022)
Seven years after the first attempt at making Clerks III fell apart, and a few years after suffering a near-fatal heart attack, Smith was able to get the clerks back together for this long-awaited sequel… which turned out to be a surprisingly downbeat heartbreaker of a flick that turns the Dante Hicks character (played by Brian O’Halloran) into one of the most tragic characters to ever lead (or co-lead) a franchise. Clerks III is way more of a bummer than it needed to be, but there are entertaining aspects to it, as we get to watch Dante and his longtime pal Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) make a movie at the Quick Stop Groceries convenience store after Randal decides he needs to finally do something with his life after he suffers a near-fatal heart attack. It’s a Clerks movie about the making of Clerks, with some heart issues added in. But why is it so depressing?
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
Smith was going to make Clerks III in 2015, but one of the clerks dropped out at the last minute. He was hoping to make Mallrats 2, but Universal wasn’t giving the greenlight. He wanted to play with his old toys again – and if Clerks and Mallrats were a no-go, at least he could get another Jay and Silent Bob movie into production. And since reboots and remakes have become the norm lately in Hollywood, why not do a reboot that in itself makes fun of the whole concept? Jay and Silent Bob Reboot has the same basic set-up as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: a new Bluntman and Chronic movie is being made and Jay and Silent Bob want to disrupt the production, so they go on another road trip. This time, the adventure involves a fan convention, the KKK, a Russian terrorist, Kevin Smith himself… and the unexpectedly emotional revelation that Jay has a daughter, played by Smith’s own daughter, Harley Quinn Smith. The writer/director uses pop culture to send up the superhero genre while also poking fun at himself and all of his films, and it’s a lot of fun to reunite with these characters and see where they have gone in the years since Clerks II.
Zack and Miri Make A Porno (2008)
Smith’s brand of humor was something unique when he first showed up on the scene, but then everyone else started making comedies that were a lot like Smith’s – and while his box office receipts remained comparatively low, the other guys were making hits that raked in over $100 million! Starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks (with Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Traci Lords, and Katie Morgan in supporting roles, plus a show-stealing cameo from Justin Long), Zack and Miri Make A Porno was Smith’s attempt to achieve a $100 million box office haul of his own. But thanks to the word “Porno” being in the title and a bad marketing campaign, it fell far short of that goal. Of course, the financial disappointment has no bearing on the quality of the movie, which blends inspiration from a couple of scrapped porn-related story ideas Smith had come up with years earlier with the experience of making Clerks to tell a funny and heartwarming story about friends falling in love while making smut together.
Jersey Girl (2004)
After Chasing Amy, Ben Affleck was hoping Smith would do another intimate story that focused on relationships rather than the over-the-top ideas he had been working on with films like Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. In his first film outside of his View Askewniverse, Smith did just that. Affleck plays the father of a young girl whose mother (played by Jennifer Lopez in the opening minutes) dies during childbirth. He is forced to quit his high-profile job and move back in with his father, who is played expertly by George Carlin. Caught up in the media circus of the “Bennifer” relationship, Jersey Girl was unfairly written off as a glossy, sappy misstep that Smith used as a punchline for several years after its release. It’s a shame it wasn’t given a better reception, because it’s a great story about three generations of a family trying to find their way in the world.
Tusk (2014)
The Bruce Willis issues on Cop Out, the disappointing box office of Zack and Miri Make A Porno, and the backlash to his Red State release strategy stunt at Sundance led Smith to consider leaving filmmaking altogether… but then, revitalizing inspiration struck. On an episode of their SModcast podcast, Smith and Scott Mosier riffed on a classified ad (which turned out to be a hoax) where an old man was looking for a lodger who would be willing to dress up as a walrus so he could relive some pleasant memories he had from a time when he was shipwrecked and only had a walrus to keep him company. Smith saw horrific possibilities in this scenario, and just months later he was on set shooting the film. Smith brought Red State villain Michael Parks back to play the madman at the heart of Tusk, and Parks gave a mind-bending performance as the old man who is looking for someone to become his old animal friend – and surgically turns an unwilling victim into a walrus. The film takes dark and weird turns throughout its runtime that keep the viewer wondering just how far the insanity will go.
Dogma (1999)
Many fans will call it blasphemy that Dogma isn’t ranked higher on this list, as it’s often cited as a top favorite, but the biggest movie of Smith’s career – it features a star-studded cast (Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, George Carlin, Alan Rickman, Jason Lee, Salma Hayek, Alanis Morissette, etc.) and deals with a potentially apocalyptic situation – has elements that make it feel like it’s falling short of its potential. The scope of the story exceeds the budget, some of the action beats are awkward, and a miscast Fiorentino manages to drain the life out of most of her scenes. Still, there is fun to be had with this movie, as the actors around Fiorentino do great work and we get to see Jay and Silent Bob help save the world. Written when the Catholic-raised Smith was experiencing a crisis of faith, the film caused the Catholic League to stage protests (which Smith himself attended). While on the outside it may look like the film is lambasting religion, it actually encourages people to ignore the sideshow aspect of religion and find something to hold onto for your own personal benefit.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
After seven years of making films set in his own cinematic universe, the View Askewniverse, Smith decided to close the book on those characters (sort of; he did leave himself a loophole to return to them eventually) and move onto other films that would let him tell different stories. The Askewniverse goes out (for the time being) with a wild, over-the-top, cartoony adventure that sends Jay and Silent Bob off to Hollywood to disrupt the production of a movie based on a comic book where the title characters, Bluntman and Chronic, were inspired by them. Characters from all four of Smith’s previous movies appear along the way, as do diamond thieves, an orangutan named Suzanne, Star Wars cast members, Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven, and a goofball Federal Wildlife Marshal played by Will Ferrell. Most unexpected of all, Jay finds love! Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a victory lap of a movie, a celebration of all that came before, the Avengers of Askewniverse movies.
The 4:30 Movie (2024)
When Kevin Smith was growing up, his local movie theatre was the Atlantic Moviehouse in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. He took ownership of that theatre in 2022, renaming it SModcastle Cinemas, and once he had full access to a theatre, he figured he should come up with a movie he could film inside the place. Set in 1986, the resulting film centers on a trio of teenage friends who plan to spend their day screen-hopping at their local theatre, watching all three movies the place has to offer. For Brian David (Austin Zajur) it’s going to be a special day, because he has invited his crush Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong) to the 4:30 movie… but things don’t turn out quite as he had planned. A love letter to the movie-going experience, the 1980s, childhood friendships, and young love, The 4:30 Movie is a nice, charming, fun, and funny flick that’s packed with heart.
Mallrats (1995)
Following the triumph of Clerks, Smith secured a deal with a major Hollywood studio (Universal Pictures!) to make his own take on the sex comedies of the ‘80s; as producer James Jacks liked to say, they were aiming to make “a smart Porky’s.” Like Clerks, this movie is about two buddies – Jason Lee as the comic book-loving Brodie Bruce, Jeremy London as his mopey pal T.S. Quint – spending the day hanging out, this time at a mall instead of in a convenience store, and dealing with romantic issues while Jay and Silent Bob do their thing on the side. Unlike Clerks, Mallrats was a financial failure and took a beating from critics. The sophomore slump. But since this was a bigger budgeted studio movie (in color!) and more widely accessible than its predecessor, with a goofier sense of humor and slightly less vulgar dialogue, it ended up reaching a large audience over the years. For many fans, Mallrats is the movie that introduced them to Kevin Smith. Elements of the story also reveal that this film takes place firmly in the same world as Clerks – and while we’re used to this type of synergy now, at the time it was almost unheard of to see films take place in the same cinematic world if they weren’t direct sequels. The View Asknewiverse was established – fittingly, with a movie that features Marvel legend Stan Lee.
Red State (2011)
Smith wrote the scripts for Zack and Miri Make A Porno and Red State back-to-back, but while Zack and Miri received a greenlight immediately, getting Red State made was more of a struggle. It was something different than what was expected from Smith, a dark and bleak horror thriller – and it was considered to be too bleak by many who read the script. It eventually came together as an independent production that Smith then decided to self-distribute (a plan he announced after the Sundance premiere screening, to the outrage of some in attendance). The film tells the story of a confrontation between the ATF and a small church that has been designated a hate group (loosely inspired by a real-life church that picketed screenings of the movie), with a group of teens stuck in the middle. Michael Parks is captivating as Abin Cooper, the hate-spewing preacher at the head of this religious organization that tries to rid the world of perceived evils by any means necessary. This was an interesting departure for the writer/director, and he created a tense film that is not out of the realm of possibility.
Clerks II (2006)
Clerks II brings back the characters of Randal and Dante to dive into a story about getting older, taking responsibility for your life, and taking stock of what’s important. The setting shifts from the world of retail at the Quick Stop convenience store to the equally life-draining world of fast food at a Mooby’s restaurant (with Jay and Silent Bob following the clerks over to their new job). Dante is working his last day at Mooby’s and has plans to leave New Jersey with his fiancée (Jennifer Schwalbach) and work for her dad’s company in Florida… all the while being head over heels with his co-worker Becky (Rosario Dawson). It’s a lot of fun to catch up with the characters and see where their life ended up a decade after the events of Clerks, and Trevor Fehrman is a great addition to the mix as fellow Mooby’s worker Elias. Highly entertaining and deeply emotional, Clerks II delivers the laughs while featuring some of the best dramatic scenes in the Smith filmography. Plus, there’s a dance sequence!
Chasing Amy (1997)
Kevin Smith has said that many of his films have been such personal stories, they were like he was tearing out chunks of his heart and having it projected on the screen. That personal connection is especially apparent in Chasing Amy, the most intimate and heartbreaking story of his entire career. Drawing inspiration from his life – a straight male friend having a crush on a lesbian, the love life problems he was dealing with at the time, and what it was like to see critics turn against his second film – he crafted the story of a straight male comic book creator who falls in love with a female comic book creator whose sexuality hasn’t always been as clearly defined as his has. Playing the lead characters, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee deliver incredible performances in a film that stands as one of the truest cinematic presentations of what it’s like to be in a messy, complicated relationship.
Clerks. (1994)
The movie that launched not only Kevin Smith’s career, but also the careers of many filmmakers who have been inspired and emboldened by him to create their own art over the decades. Shot on a budget of $27,575, which was charged on credit cards, and filmed in Smith’s place of employment, the Quick Stop Groceries convenience store and the next-door video store, this acerbic film skewers the day-to-day mundane of the register jockey as we spend some hours with clerks Dante Hicks and Randal Graves. We also occasionally drop in on drug dealers Jay and Silent Bob, who spend their day standing outside. While it’s not surprising that the people that wait on you every day can’t stand all the annoying stuff customers demand, this was the first time it had been presented as raw and unfiltered on screen. Add in some surreal shenanigans (knocking over a casket at a lunch break funeral, a chewing gum salesman causing a near-riot, and one of the clerks’ ex-girlfriend having sex with a dead guy in the bathroom), and you get a film that makes you laugh while being far too relatable at the same time.
And there you have it, our list of Kevin Smith Movies Ranked. Is this how you would have ranked them? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
