I was super excited to see Chasing Amy, a classic Kevin Smith film added to the back catalogue of movies available on Netflix from January 2020. I came across the movie as a teenager when I became obsessed with Jason Lee and decided to watch every film that he was in. This introduced me to the funny and quirky filmmaker that is Kevin Smith.
If after watching Chasing Amy you also want to track down some more Kevin Smith film goodness, here are the ten best films he has made to date.
Clerks (1994)
Smith’s first film, this is incredibly low budget, and quickly became a cult favourite. It is about an ordinary guy with an ordinary job as a convenience store attendant and his friends. It follows a day in his life as he tries to get out of work to participate in a hockey game, and finds out his ex-girlfriend is engaged. It stars Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson, neither of which have made big name for themselves, but are solid actors.
Smith made a sequel to this cult classic in 2006, and he is reportedly currently working on a third instalment.
Mallrats (1995)
Following the success of Clerks, Smith was able to attract some money and stars for Mallrats. Starring Shannen Doherty Jeremy London, Jason Lee and Claire Forlani, all of which were popular at the time. The show follows two college students as they try to win back their girlfriends, and all the action takes place in the local mall, commenting on the ridiculousness of the consumer culture that it represents.
Chasing Amy (1997)
Jason Lee returns alongside Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams in this twist on a love story. Affleck and Lee play comic book artists and best buddies. Their perfect friendship starts to fall apart as they both fall for the same girl, played by Adams. To add complications, Adams is a lesbian. She too must face her own sexuality and what it takes to be accepted for who you are.
Dogma (1999)
Taking things to a whole new level, friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck starred together in this flick about two fallen angels that plan to use a loophole in Church Dogma to return to heaven after being thrown out. They must embark on a bit of a quest in which they encounter all kinds of supernatural beings and hilarious moral conundrums. Also stars Alan Rickman, Salma Hayek and Alanis Morissette.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Jay and Silent Bob, played by a silent Kevin Smith and his mouthy mate Jason Mewes, appeared in all of Smith’s films up to this one. Fan favourites, they deserved their own outing. The two find themselves in a different world as a major studio decides to make a film based on a comic book about them. They make their way to Hollywood to see what is going on and bring their signature chaos.
There have since been two sequel films starring the popular pair.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Starring Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen, they are old friends since primary school who have never had a romantic connection but share a flat. They haven’t been paying their bills and they are struggling, and after a high school reunion where they discover that one of their old classmates is a gay porn star, they decide to make a porno to make money. It is to be a parody on Star Wars. From there, things start to get complicated.
Cop Out (2010)
Starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, they are two veteran NYPD police officers who find themselves on the train of a stolen, rare mint-condition baseball card. They soon find themselves embroiled in a different world, not only of crime, but fanaticism. This is the first film that Smith directed that he did not also write.
Red State (2011)
In a film that mixes comedy and horror to perfection, three young men drive out to a deserted location, lured by the promise of group sex. They soon find themselves bound up by Christian fanatics determined to kill all gay men. Can they get out, and can they expect any help after their earlier run in with the local sheriff. Starring Michael Parks, John Goodman and Melissa Leo.
Tusk (2014)
The first film in a new horror trilogy that Smith called the True North Trilogy, Michael Parks returns alongside Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment. The lead character is lured to the home of a lunatic who is determined to mutilate him and turn him into a walrus in order to recreate a scene from is past that is full of regret.
Yoga Hosers (2016)
The sequel to Tusk, Lily-Rose Depp and Harley Quinn Smith star as two teenage girls who find themselves accused of murder after they escape a group of Satanists with the help of some miniature Nazi bratwurst. Sounds bizarre, that is only the beginning. Also stars Johnny Depp and Justin Long.