Over the course of thirty years making movies,Kevin Smithhas had a fascinating career, one full of wild ideas, iconic characters, and interconnected worlds that predate our cinematic universe-obsessed landscape. Smith started in the world of independent cinema, makingClerksat his day job and becoming a Sundance success story. Since these beginnings, Smith had told stories that range from unexpected romances, apocalyptic religious tales, stoner road trips, convenience store hijinks, murderous cults, andJustin Longbeing turned into a walrus.
Smith has had his ups and downs, as he’s more than willing to share with his audiences at his many Q&As, but he’s also a writer-director that helped usher in the independent cinema boom of the 1990s, introducing large audiences to a world of films that they might not have even been aware existed before watching two clerks talk about nerdy things at a Quick Stop. Smith’s films are always idiosyncratic, surprising, and distinctly Smith.
With Smith having recently releasedClerks III, his fifteenth film, what better time to revisit Smith’s filmography, from his film school documentary gone wrong, to Dante and Randal’s latest tale. Also, side note for this list, Smith’s other 2022 film,KillRoy Was Here, is not included, since it’s only available as an NFT. Also, not included inClerks: The Animated Series, which would’ve been a contender for the top spot. Seriously, it’s only six brilliant episodes, if you’ve never watched it.
With that in mind, let’s snootch to the nooch and get down to ranking Smith’s filmography.
RELATED:The History Behind the Short-Lived ‘Clerks’ Animated Series
19. Yoga Hosers
The second part of Smith’s as-yet-unfinishedTrue Northtrilogy,Yoga Hosersis the writer-director’s frustrating and scattered attempt at making a teen movie, which also includes an exploration of Nazis in World War II, a pair of Satanists (played byAustin ButlerandTyler Posey), and a collection of Nazi clones made out of bratwurst called “bratzis” (also played by Smith). StarringHarley Quinn SmithandLily-Rose Deppas best friends both named Colleen,Yoga Hosersseems like an attempt for Smith to bring a podcast joke to the big screen, and also for Kevin Smith andJohnny Depp—who reprises hisTuskrole of Canadian detective Guy Lapointe— to make a movie together with their daughters. The result is an exhausting low for Smith, and an example that sometimes the funniest whims on a podcast might not equate to a great film.
18. Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie
Yes, we’re only to the second entry on this list, and we’re already throwing in a cheat. Written by Smith and directed bySteve Stark, who created SModimations, animated scenes from Smith’s podcast SModcast,Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie!certainly lives in the View Askewniverse, as Jay and Silent Bob become their superhero counterparts, Bluntman and Chronic. While the idea of exploring this duo’s side hustle makes sense in the world of animation,Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movieis packed with generic dick, fart, and weed jokes, and villain origin stories as a way to flesh out this only 60-minute movie (and you’ll feel every minute of it). At one point, an animated Kevin Smith pops up as himself to tell audiences to expect disappointment with his films, and that’s certainly true with this animated feature.
17. Holidays (“Halloween” Segment)
The anthology filmHolidaystook eight different yearly celebrations, and crafted unsettling and inventive short films around each. Smith’s segment, “Halloween,” however, focuses less on October 31st and more on a group of cam girls who decide to take out revenge on their virtual pimp. Like much of Smith’s horror work, “Halloween” feels more like a funny idea Smith came up with stretched into a narrative, and even in this short, one can feel this idea stretching too thin. While “Halloween” boasts the most notable filmmaker ofHolidays, it’s also one of the film’s weaker editions.
16. Cop Out
The only film that Smith directed but didn’t write,Cop Outhas become a punching bag from Smith as much as anyone else. Smith has talked at length about the difficult production, and along withJersey Girl,Cop Outhas become one of Smith’s go-tos for making fun of his career. Smith’s buddy cop film was an attempt to make a film that his father would like, and the supporting cast here is a lot of fun, withAdam Brody,Kevin Pollack, andSeann William Scottall standouts. But the problem withCop Outis that it is as if someone tried to make a buddy cop film out of the blandest and weary tropes that had already run their course by 2009. It would be very interesting to see Smith direct more works that he didn’t write, but it looks as thoughCop Outmight’ve scared Smith away from that idea for good.
15. Why I Love New F*cking York
ForThe Concert for New York City— which took place a little over a month after the 9/11 attacks — several filmmakers associated with the NYC area made short films about this area that they loved. These directors includedWoody Allen,Spike Lee,Martin Scorsese,Jerry Seinfeld, and Smith—who made this short about the rivalry between New Jersey and NYC. The short is ultimately a sweet one, as New Yorkers eventually share their appreciation for the people who came from the Garden State to help out after the attacks, showing the two states come together during this trying time.Why I Love New F*cking Yorkis understandably saccharine, the sentiment is a nice testament to both New York City and New Jersey.
LikeYoga Hosers,Tuskwas birthed out of a podcast joke that eventually turned into a feature-length film.Tuskbegins with what might be the longest pieces of dialogue that Smith has ever written, and the back-and-forth between podcaster Wallace (Justin Long) and crazed walrus enthusiast Howard Howe (Michael Parks) manages a nice blend of unsettling and weirdness. But Smith embraces the story’s inherent outlandishness, asTuskbecomes a strange body horror film, then an absurd joke—thanks to some of the wildest prosthetics shown on film, and the unfortunate debut of Johnny Depp’s Lapointe. Smith decided to make this film thanks to a Twitter poll where SModcast listeners would vote #WalrusNo or #WalrusYes, and whileTuskbegins as a #WalrusYes, it quickly devolves into a definite #WalrusNo.
13. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Thirteen years after his last visit to his View Askewniverse of characters, Smith brought back his two most popular characters withJay and Silent Bob Reboot. WithReboot, Smith is very much embracing his fanbase (the sort of audience who will get equally excited about both aWalt Flanaganand aChris Hemsworthcameo) in this story that follows the same beats as 2001’sJay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Did we need to learn that Jay had a long-lost daughter, Millennium Faulken (Harley Quinn Smith)? Probably not. But what makes this film work is when Smith reckons with his past work and revisits characters and stories from his past. In fact,Rebootmight be worth watching for Smith’s attempt to reconcile with the criticisms againstChasing Amy, which shows that Smith revisiting the View Askewniverse with care, consideration, and heart can be quite wonderful.
12. Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentary
Co-directed and co-written by Smith and his longtime producerScott Mosier,Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentarywas filmed as a student project while the pair were still enrolled at the Vancouver Film School. Smith and Mosier attempted to make a documentary that fell apart, thanks to their poor leadership, andMae Daytells the story of this failed project. In hindsight,Mae Dayshows Smith’s strengths and weaknesses as a filmmaker. After this film, Smith would leave film school, take that money, and make his debut feature film,Clerks, showing that if he was going to make it as a filmmaker, he would have to do so on his own terms. However, that also acts as a double-edged sword here, as Smith and Mosier’s inability to work outside their bubble causes problems throughout the production.Mae Dayis a fascinating school project/short that works in its own unusual way.
11. The Flying Car
Filmed forThe Tonight Showin 2002,The Flying Carreunites Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) for another semantic-laden pop-culture referencing conversation, this time, about the possibilities of the flying car. Eight years afterClerks, Smith proves that watching these two together can still be wonderful to watch, as Randal goads on the exasperated Dante, who can’t win no matter what he says.The Flying Caris little more than watching two of Smith’s old favorites back on their bullshit, but sometimes watching two friends have a heated conversation about the modes of transportation promised byThe Jetsonsis enough.
10. Mallrats
WhileMallratshas certainly found its audience over the years, as the world has shifted into a love of superhero discussions and interconnected movie universes,Mallratsstill remains the weakest of Smith’s original View Askewniverse pentalogy. Released a year after Smith releasedClerks,Mallratsis extremely clunky, with female characters are basically little more than MacGuffins, male characters who offer nothing of substance to their recent ex-girlfriends, and tonal shifts that swing this story from 90s melodrama to some of the grossest jokes in Smith’s career (say, would you like a chocolate pretzel?)Mallratsis primarily most interesting as a piece in the larger View Askew puzzle.
