Red State: A Review. (Mild Spoilers).
My review of Red State under the cut. Mild Spoilers.
Parks, Goodman, Gallner, Shine in Kevin Smith’s Psychological Thriller, Red State
On this past Saturday, April 10th, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a showing of Kevin Smith’s latest film, Red State, at the historic Wiltern theater in Los Angeles, introduced by the clever and self-depreciating director himself. While many are classifying the film as a horror movie, it’s more of a psychological thriller, as it lacks the gore and supernatural elements of a traditional horror movie. There are no men with masks and chainsaws here; there is only a twisted belief about what is right and a tight-knit religious camp that has decided to carry out God’s wrath on a trio of unsuspecting teenagers who are lured into a trap by means of an ad for sex that is posted online. From there, the movie falls away from horror completely and instead takes the viewer on a terrifying ride through the eyes of Abin Cooper, the minister of Cooper’s Dell and the self-appointed fiery sword of vengeance that belongs to a furious Almighty.
This movie features an excellent cast that ranges from up-and-coming young stars such as Michael Angarano, (Will and Grace, Sky High,) Kerry Bishe, (Scrubs, Royal Pains,) and Kyle Gallner, (The Haunting in Connecticut, Cougars, Inc), to well-known sterling actors such John Goodman, Michael Parks, and recent Oscar winner Melissa Leo. The blend of untried and veteran talent makes for an amazing mix; Parks, in particular, is terrifying as the fundamentalist Abin Cooper. He is both charismatic and single-minded in his goal to eradicate sinners from the earth. Melissa Leo, as Cooper’s zealot daughter, was also riveting. John Goodman, in a role he seemed destined to play with his craggy, worn looks but kick-ass attitude, is an ATF director who gets caught up in the doings of Cooper’s Dell when the local sheriff brings in the ATF in to cover up his own dirty deeds. Goodman gets some of the best lines in the movie and plays his role in an extremely convincing manner of a man who has stepped into something he knows he must stop yet is reluctant to follow orders that come from higher up, orders that demand he spend human lives.
The younger talent also gives a top-floor performance; Bishe, as Cooper’s granddaughter, evokes sympathy as events turn ugly and everything she thought she understood begins to cost lives. A particular standout here was Kyle Gallner, who is no stranger to horror films, yet gives a performance here that is above and beyond anything else he has ever done. His terror, disbelief, and fury at the events that take place in Cooper’s Dell evoked such emotion that several times, I found myself trembling and moved to tears. It is no wonder that the Sundance Film Festival recently named him one of Hollywood’s Fresh Faces; at only twenty-four, he is emerging as a true talent.
While Red State is a complete departure from anything Smith has ever done, it is an amazing one that leaves the viewer to ponder not the dangers of monsters, ghosts, or demons, but the danger of a belief and what one person might do to defend that belief or to make others believe it. It’s a movie that stays with you long after the lights come up.
Red State will premiere in theatres nationwide on October 19th, 2011.
Parks, Goodman, Gallner, Shine in Kevin Smith’s Psychological Thriller, Red State
On this past Saturday, April 10th, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a showing of Kevin Smith’s latest film, Red State, at the historic Wiltern theater in Los Angeles, introduced by the clever and self-depreciating director himself. While many are classifying the film as a horror movie, it’s more of a psychological thriller, as it lacks the gore and supernatural elements of a traditional horror movie. There are no men with masks and chainsaws here; there is only a twisted belief about what is right and a tight-knit religious camp that has decided to carry out God’s wrath on a trio of unsuspecting teenagers who are lured into a trap by means of an ad for sex that is posted online. From there, the movie falls away from horror completely and instead takes the viewer on a terrifying ride through the eyes of Abin Cooper, the minister of Cooper’s Dell and the self-appointed fiery sword of vengeance that belongs to a furious Almighty.
This movie features an excellent cast that ranges from up-and-coming young stars such as Michael Angarano, (Will and Grace, Sky High,) Kerry Bishe, (Scrubs, Royal Pains,) and Kyle Gallner, (The Haunting in Connecticut, Cougars, Inc), to well-known sterling actors such John Goodman, Michael Parks, and recent Oscar winner Melissa Leo. The blend of untried and veteran talent makes for an amazing mix; Parks, in particular, is terrifying as the fundamentalist Abin Cooper. He is both charismatic and single-minded in his goal to eradicate sinners from the earth. Melissa Leo, as Cooper’s zealot daughter, was also riveting. John Goodman, in a role he seemed destined to play with his craggy, worn looks but kick-ass attitude, is an ATF director who gets caught up in the doings of Cooper’s Dell when the local sheriff brings in the ATF in to cover up his own dirty deeds. Goodman gets some of the best lines in the movie and plays his role in an extremely convincing manner of a man who has stepped into something he knows he must stop yet is reluctant to follow orders that come from higher up, orders that demand he spend human lives.
The younger talent also gives a top-floor performance; Bishe, as Cooper’s granddaughter, evokes sympathy as events turn ugly and everything she thought she understood begins to cost lives. A particular standout here was Kyle Gallner, who is no stranger to horror films, yet gives a performance here that is above and beyond anything else he has ever done. His terror, disbelief, and fury at the events that take place in Cooper’s Dell evoked such emotion that several times, I found myself trembling and moved to tears. It is no wonder that the Sundance Film Festival recently named him one of Hollywood’s Fresh Faces; at only twenty-four, he is emerging as a true talent.
While Red State is a complete departure from anything Smith has ever done, it is an amazing one that leaves the viewer to ponder not the dangers of monsters, ghosts, or demons, but the danger of a belief and what one person might do to defend that belief or to make others believe it. It’s a movie that stays with you long after the lights come up.
Red State will premiere in theatres nationwide on October 19th, 2011.