Kevin Smith makes his horror debut in Red State, his low budget tale of bloody, vengeful violence in middle America. Featuring shades of fundamentalism, hate and deceit, this film attempts to attack religious extremism in the US, but loses something in its editing.
When three high school students (Kyle Gallner, Michael Angarano and Nicholas Braun) arrange to meet a woman for sex, they are plunged into the hidden world of the fanatical Five Points church, led by Abin Cooper (Michael Parks). But unaware of their predicament, the ATF, headed by Agent Keenan (John Goodman) are en route to the compound, intent on annihilating the church and its followers, completely.
Smith’s foray into the horror comedy genre, complete with extremism, violence, homophobia, conspiracy and religion, is a promising, but ultimately underdeveloped contribution to a renowned body of work. Containing some scenes of brutal violence, cut between moments of tension and comedy, the strength of Red State lies in its ability to realise a situation where faith, hatred and ignorance spill over to create a seemingly realistic event. With references to the ATF’s 1993 Waco Siege, and the odious actions of members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who are notorious for protesting the funerals of American soldiers and notable public figures, including most recently, Steve Jobs, Red State is a perfect vehicle for Smith to make a powerful and scathing social comment on modern American attitudes towards home-grown fundamentalism. But this message is weak, as sudden cuts lead to an unsatisfying ending. While the film features a number of strong performances from Parks, Goodman, Gallner, Braun and Angarano, Smith’s long-awaited film and its message of Christian extremism in the US gathering power, followers and automatic weapons is sadly eclipsed by the movie’s premature and infuriating conclusion.