It's great to see writer/director Kevin Smith try something different with his first foray into horror territory, Red State. It riffs on the cliche of promiscuous teens being lynched, tortured and murdered by unsociable backward rednecks in the deep south of America...the twist this time is that the hillbillies are members of an extremist Christian Church.
It's a very different piece of work for Smith who's better know for his cult rom-coms like Clerks, Zack & Miri and Chasing Amy. It's dark, gritty and very angry, exploring not only the very topical issues of extremist Christians (recalling the very real Westboro Baptist Church in Florida who hang around at dead service men's funerals sporting 'God Hates Fags' billboards) but of corruption, incompetence and apathy in US law enforcement and politics.
Unlike Smith's comedies, where the rambling, witty dialogue is something to savour, the more serious script is less involving and requires editing down. The director also tries to employ a more raw and experimental but like his last film Cop Out, doesn't completely grasp the intricacies of 'visual' cinema. Red State is brave in dealing it's controversial topic, but it's a shame the execution isn't quite as ambitious.
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