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Every Kevin Smith Movie Ranked from Best to Worst

It's hard to believe it's been over 30 years since a little black and white indie comedy from New Jersey tattooed the names Jay and Silent Bob onto the cultural zeitgeist forevermore. But with writer/director/podcaster Kevin Smith mythologizing his youth once again in his latest film, The 4:30 Movie, we thought we'd take this opportunity to see where it ranks amongst the rest of his catalog by ranking all of his movies from Best to Worst. Well, almost all of his movies. Haven't gotten around to the Killroy thing he released as an NFT earlier this year. But here's the others...

#15. Yoga Hosers

The second installment in Smith's alleged "True North" trilogy (I say alleged because I'm not sure we'll ever get a third movie) finds Smith filming his own daughter alongside Johnny Depp's daughter playing teenage retail clerks amid a sea of bad Canadian jokes and a horde of evil Bratzis (bratwurst sized Nazis, played by Kevin Smith himself). It's abysmal. If you thought Judd Apatow force feeding his family home videos to the masses in This Is 40 was cringey, this is a whole nother level of self involvement. Supposedly Smith was going for a Gremlins-style teen horror comedy here but he really misses the mark on both the comedy and horror. We get it, you're a dad now. And your daughter seems to be pals with Johnny Depp's daughter. Great. But come on. Nobody thinks this is cute or entertaining. It's a lame dad geeking out over his daughter and his celebrity rolodex in painfully unfunny fashion. Smith is a notorious fanboy but it seems later in his career, he might be fanboy-ing over himself and his daughter a bit too much to be an objective and effective story teller.

#14. Tusk

After publicly contemplating retirement from filmmaking and focusing more of his verbose storytelling skills on his series of stand-up style career symposiums like "An Evening with Kevin Smith" and eventually his own podcast(s) - Smith returned from a 3 year hiatus to direct this bizarre horror comedy with his SModcast buddies Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment. And while the opening is a peculiar brand of batshit, so bad it's good, outrageous body horror; the film takes a wild left turn when Johnny Depp shows up as detective Guy Lapointe and from there the bottom drops out almost entirely. It starts to feel like the entire thing is an inside joke with his real life group of celebrity friends more than creating any actual entertainment or statement. Tusk is self absorbed in the worst ways and gets side tracked in so many nonsensical anecdotal sidebars that it seems as if Smith's podcasting sensibilities were starting to infect his filmmaking abilities.

#13. The 4:30 Movie

Heartfelt 1980's teen comedies are a foundational piece of Kevin Smith's directorial DNA. And so you'd think when he set out to make his own coming of age film set in that period, glorifying the theater hopping experience of being a cinephile teenager before the advent of the internet - he'd absolutely crush it, right? Wrong. Smith nails the 80's era theater going experience but the story is so hyper focused on the forced film nerd trivia and cringey dad jokes that the young cast of characters gets about as much depth to them as the onslaught of lazy masturbation jokes. The attempt at a serious, heartfelt coming of age story is entirely undercut by how idiotic and un-serious the characters and majority of the plot is handled - no matter how many ham-fisted monologues you toss in there. On a positive note though, Bear McCreary killed it on the 80's ass soundtrack, including a great deepfake of Queen's Flash Gordon theme for the faux feature "Astro Blaster" and the end credits ballad "24 Karat Case of Love". I just wish Kevin had brought that same level of creativity to the project instead of rehashing the same half-dozen tired ass jokes.

#12. Jersey Girl

Stepping outside of the View Askewniverse for the first time as a director, Jersey Girl is an incredibly messy attempt at a career transition for Smith. With the opening serving as yet another symbolic portrayal of the director grappling with the loss of his youth and accepting the responsibilities of adulthood - actually seeing the tragedy of our titular Jersey Girl's mother passing away during childbirth really neuters the trauma of just leaving the event as an unseen prelude to where the family begins this story. Every ounce of the movie's emotion is compressed into those opening 20 minutes. The chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck (who were together in real life at the time) overshadows Liv Tyler entirely and Affleck is way too convincing as the selfish, bitter workaholic and can't quite sell himself as the loving single dad as effectively. The entirety of this movie can be summed up in the scene where Affleck's character, after years of being shunned from the industry and taking time to raise his daughter - is ready to throw away all that "personal growth" for the first opportunity to go running back to the life he left behind in the big city. Smith's attempt at adult sentiment never feels like it gets his full committed and sure enough, Kevin went running back to the familiar comfort of dick and fart jokes immediately after this film flopped.

#11. Cop Out

As the only feature film Kevin Smith has directed but didn't write, Cop Out feels more like a disposable afternoon cable TV re-run than any of his other work. It's a painfully dated 2000's era buddy-cop comedy, most sufficiently summarized in the scene where Bruce Willis calls Sean William Scott a "turd burglar" for stealing a priceless baseball card Willis was about to sell at a pawn shop to pay for his daughter's wedding. Which is to say, it's cheesy as hell. And despite the infamous behind the scenes tension between Bruce Willis and Kevin Smith, the movie does kind of play out like a throwback 80's action comedy - with slightly above average humor injected into a completely asinine story. And that's coming from someone whose never really even found Tracy Morgan all that funny. As contrived and gimmicky as they are, there are a few spots throughout that got me to chuckle. Definitely not the worst movie Kevin Smith, Bruce Willis, Tracey Morgan or Sean William Scott have ever put out. But the real MVP here is composer Harold Faltermeyer for evoking that 80's synth style and contemporizing it into the best original score Smith's ever had for one of his films. It's doesn't have the legendary themes of his signature work in Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun or The Running Man - but it does bring more style and character to the film than it's weak ass script can muster up.


Check out our list of the Top 10 Buddy Cops of All Time

#10. Clerks III

I really didn't think Smith would return to the Quick Stop again unless he had a truly fitting addition to the lore of Dante and Randall. But so much of this movie not only repurposes the same jokes from the original Clerks in a kind of referential scavenger hunt (not so much hiding Easter eggs as much as it smashes them down your throat) - but the entire premise of the film revolves around Randall recreating the original Clerks, scene by scene, in a wholly different kind of nerdy self involvement for Smith. Especially when the creation of Clerks has already been tackled ad nauseum through Smith's various stand-up symposiums, a feature length documentary in 2019's Shooting Clerks, and fairly similarly in Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Which is all to say, this comes off incredibly lazy and stale. Outside of the barrage of fan service, Elias' transformation may be the lone bright spot of the film. Especially with the jarring way things end, which feels like an incredibly sloppy and unearned attempt at wringing emotion out of a threequel that hasn't earned it. Dante, Randall, and even Jay and Silent Bob deserved a better ending than this. And don't even get me started on how they used Rosario Dawson's Becky...

#9. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

I'm not a huge fan of comedy sequels but given the context of the constant reboot culture of comic book movies in Hollywood, this one actually kind of made sense. And while it's not nearly as funny and leans way too heavily on recycling the same jokes from the original, it has a surprising amount of heart. Maybe cobbled together the two solo Jay and Silent Bob outings might actually make one great film? But as they are, this falls pretty flat comedically. You wouldn't think it would happen in a Jay and Silent Bob Reboot but I think Smith finally got the heart warming family man message he's been working on for so many years - in a meta, Scream 4 kinda way. And even though it may not be laugh out loud funny or original, it's undeniably fun revisiting the many familiar faces of the View Askewniverse as a sort of 25th anniversary party for Smith's directing career.

#8. Dogma

After the critical rebound of Chasing Amy, Smith returned to deliver arguably the largest film of his career (at least in scale & budget). But despite it's incredibly bold and massive premise, Dogma unfortunately fails to live up to the promise of it's potential. The stacked cast and witty religious satire do all they can but ultimately, the film just unravels in it's conclusion. There's some great exploration of faith and organized religion throughout and the banter between Affleck and Damon is top notch. But the lead performance from Linda Fiorentino is so detached that despite the remarkable supporting cast, she kind of tanks the momentum of the film. But Smith himself isn't off the hook either. In taking on such a massive project he fails to translate the scale of the apocalyptic threat at hand by taking almost all of the action off-screen and delivers a lackluster finale that doesn't bring any of the fire and brimstone described in the exposition. All you're left with is a Buddy Christ, a Mooby lunch break and a shit demon.

#7. Red State

Without the backing of the Weinsteins, Kevin Smith's self financed foray into horror is a criminally overlooked examination of religious extremism. With it's grim subject material, this doesn't look or feel like any of his other movies and shows an impressive capacity for range from the director. His knack for writing compelling dialogue sells the terror of the situation at hand incredibly effectively. The cult-like atmosphere is chilling and the brutal ceremonial executions are absolutely haunting. Granted, it's a bit heavy handed as things escalate quite quickly into a stand-off with the ATF but the powerhouse performances make up for some of the narrative leaps. Michael Parks plays the familiar, warm southern pastor with cruel intentions perfectly but what really drives the film home is John Goodman's phenomenal performance in the closing moments. It's not perfect by any means but it's definitely more than enough enticement for me to want to see the filmmaker tackle another straight horror picture again sometime in the future.

#6. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

With the protests and death threats hurled at Smith upon the release of Dogma, it's easy to see why he'd retreat to a safer subject matter for his follow up. It's an onslaught of dick and fart jokes woven through the vast sandbox of characters that Smith has introduced us to over the years in what feels like a victory lap for the director, as he assembles one of the most astounding casts ever compiled (seriously, look at this fucking role call) for his supposed farewell to his shared View Askew Cinematic Universe. Of course we all know by now, he would return to this universe multiple times over but never the less - this still serves as a fitting endcap to the 1st chapter of his career. Almost like a cinematic bachelor party with Smith getting to live out as many adolescent fantasies as possible all at once. So yes, it's incredibly juvenile and doesn't hold the emotional weight any of his previous films. But as a simple turn off your brain and laugh road trip comedy - it's pretty great. Even if it is just a collection of dick and fart jokes, there are some fun self-deprecating meta jokes about Smith and his buddies as well.

#5. Chasing Amy

After the flamboyant flame out of Mallrats, Smith delivered a more subdued approach to the romantic comedy in his follow up. Although of course, it does manage to weave comic books as well as Jay and Silent Bob into the narrative, it's a much more grounded film. But that's not to say that it's without it's outrageous laugh out loud moments like Dwight Ewell's proclamation for black representation in pop culture, the homage to Jaws in it's sequence of sharing scars and of course Jason Lee's never ending plight to be considered more than a "tracer". It's way ahead of it's time in depicting under represented sub cultures, including Joey Lauren Adams' portrayal of a lesbian being tempted back into heterosexuality by Ben Affleck. It's truly one of the most humanizing explorations of the gay community of it's time (if you can get passed all the "f" slurs). The only major problem is that Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams' relationship just isn't that compelling once you get passed the non-traditional aspects. But it is a unique way to symbolize trying to balance your romantic and platonic relationships. Or keeping your past baggage from ruining your future. Or pursuing your creative endeavors without sacrificing your artistic integrity. All in all - you usually end up losing it all trying to have it all.

#4. Clerks 2

I was incredibly skeptical of Smith's decision to go running back to the safety net of the View Askew Universe after his first film from "retiring" the characters (Jersey Girl) flopped so spectacularly. But surprisingly enough, Clerks II is actually the rare comedic sequel that not only lives up to standard set by the original but serves as an organic continuation of the series. It's not quite the cultural landmark that the original was; mostly due to some of the out of touch aesthetic choices in music and production design - but that's almost perfect for a movie about clueless dudes still figuring their shit out in their 30's. The crass humor and fanboy banter are fun enough but the film has a surprising amount of heart at it's core - not only in Dante's latest love triangle dilemma but also his platonic bromance with Randall in the deeply emotional jail cell scene that finds two friends baring their souls to one another. Smith has always been a gifted writer but Clerks II is the first movie in his filmography that shows significant growth as a director. It's one of the best comedy sequels of all time and a refreshing reminder that Smith still has an incredible ability to craft sentimental moments in the most obscene set of circumstances.

#3. Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Despite the tepid box office performance that fractured Kevin Smith's relationship with his long time producing partners Bob and Harvey Weinstein as well sending Smith into a panic that he'd ruined Seth Rogen's career hot off the success of Knocked Up and Superbad; Zack and Miri is without a doubt the best film Smith has made outside of the View Askewniverse. Seth Rogen is the perfect vessel for Smith's witty, profane vernacular and the blossoming relationship between Rogen and Banks' title characters just might be the most endearing romantic relationship the gifted writer has ever crafted. But it also serves as a great pseudo-biographical retelling of Smith's guerilla film making roots, in a not entirely self-involved way. Hilarious and heartwarming, despite its' crude pornographic façade, Zack and Miri is a complete showcase for the comedic genius that Smith is capable of when he's operating at the height of his abilities. Like a delightfully vulgar John Hughes. And proof that he doesn't always need his familiar bag of comic book references and weed jokes to make a stellar comedy.

#2. Mallrats

Hot off the success of Clerks, Kevin Smith was tasked with revitalizing the teen sex comedy of yesteryear in the vein of a Porky's or Meatballs. However, as disappointing as it was upon it's initial release (both financially and critically), what Smith crafted in his character driven follow up had a much more enduring legacy than either of those flash in the pan comedies has and still holds up better today than almost any of it's rom-com contemporaries. It's a brazenly grounded and brutally honest depiction of young love from both male and female perspectives as two recently broken up couples sort through what their ideal partnership would entail, culminating perfectly with a cheesy dating game show where each dejected significant other must prove themselves worthy of a second chance. It doesn't quite feel like the voice of a generation event that Clerks was but that honestly works in it's advantage, in that this feels like a more timeless and universally appealing film. And perhaps Smith's most palatable work to date. It also allowed Smith to give a much more nuanced characterization of comic book geek culture compared to what we saw previously in films like Revenge of the Nerds with the best character in his vast catalog of creations - Brodie. The reason this film works so well is the breakthrough performance of a lifetime from Jason Lee in his first acting role after making a career change from being a professional skateboarder. Lee brings such exuberance to the character that it's impossible not to be charmed by his slacker bravado that perfectly embodies the spirit of this cult classic, mainstream flop. Oh and fuck the MCU, this movie houses the best Stan Lee cameo EVER.

#1. Clerks

Kevin Smith's debut feature is a loving portrait of what it's like to be trapped in the dismal day to day existence of thankless service industry limbo. Most of all though, it provides a lens for which to gaze upon the quarter life crises of a man stuck (in every sense of the word) between clinging to the comfort and convenience of minimal responsibility and trying to push forward for a more significant role in adulthood; while somehow his indecision manages to mangle his potential for either. It's the perfect showcase for Kevin Smith's talent of depicting semi-episodic conversational chance encounters and also plants some early seeds of normalizing fanboy culture with it's discussion of pop culture icons and Star Wars fan theories. Whether it's shouldering the brunt of consumer outrage, navigating the moral conflict of impure commerce, or simply providing a comfortable environment to take a shit - Clerks is the rallying cry of generation X and their displacement from society. And even though Dante's relationship troubles anchor the film brilliantly; it's his asshole sidekick, Randall, that brings the most levity to the proceedings. He's the messenger of harsh truths we all need to hear sometimes but don't necessarily want to face on our own. But he's also the very thing that makes life in the margins more tolerable. A great friend.


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