Every Kevin Smith Movie Ranked: From Walrus Horror to Clerks Existential Perfection

Kevin Smith issn’t someone who you can call your typical filmmaker.

He came to attention by maxing out his credit cards, shooting in black and white at a convenience store where he worked, and made one of the most influential indie films of the ’90s.

That film was Clerks, and it didn’t just launch his career, it launched a whole generation of slackers with dreams of being heard.

Since then, Smith’s output has been everything from inspired to unwatchable, from cult classic to creative midlife crisis.

So here’s my ranking of every Kevin Smith film to date, from least favorite, to favorite.

*The only one missing here is KillRoy Was Here, as I haven’t seen it.

Cop Out (2010)

Let’s get the worst out of the way.

Kevin Smith didn’t write this one, which is probably the nicest thing I can say about it.

He was hired to direct a pretty generic buddy cop comedy starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, and on paper, that sounds fine, but in reality, it plays like a straight to Redbox disaster.

Smith himself has said directing Bruce Willis was a nightmare, and you can feel the contempt dripping off the screen, and this is the only movie in Smith’s filmography where his voice is completely absent.

A total misfire.

Cop Out Trailer

Yoga Hosers (2016)

Yoga Hosers is basically what happens when a filmmaker is given too much creative freedom and access to his kid’s high school drama class, and ends upis as stoner gibberish made flesh..

It’s supposed to be a teen comedy, but it plays like someone poured maple syrup on a Juno script and set it on fire.

Yoga Hosers Trailer

Tusk (2014)

Tusk is a film, I think.

You can practically hear Smith cackling behind the camera, like a mad scientist unleashing his weirdest idea onto the world, and it’s not for everyone – hell, it might not be for anyone, but it’s one of the few films in Smith’s career that genuinely challenges the audience.

It’s horrifying in places and accidentally hilarious in others, and a complete tonal mess, but one that you won’t forget.

Tusk Trailer

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot feels like more of a reunion tour than a movie, as it’s all references, cameos, and callbacks strung together like an aging band that refuses to play new material.

It’s not bad, but it’s not that good either – maybe one for the hardcore Jay and Silent Bob fans.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Trailer

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Smith goes to Judd Apatow territory here, and while it mostly works, it also feels like he’s coloring in someone else’s book.

Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are charming, and the premise of two friends making a porno to pay rent is delightfully scummy.

The problem is the film never really commits to either, and while it wants to be sweet and filthy at the same time, that balancing act doesn’t always land well.

But there are moments of genuine humor and warmth though.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno Trailer

Jersey Girl (2004)

I don’t actually think Jersey Girl is an awful film like many do, and I think it just came out at the exact wrong time where Ben Affleck was still radioactive from Gigli and Bennifer 1.0, and no one was interested in seeing him cry into a baby’s onesie.

But if you actually sit down and watch it, it’s a decent little father-daughter story with some real emotion – it’s Kevin Smith trying to grow up, but it has a heart, and sometimes that’s enough to elevate it above the junk heap.

Jersey Girl Trailer

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

This is where Smith just gave up on subtlety, and basically made a ridiculous and proudly juvenile cartoon in film format, but it’s also kind of brilliant too, where every line is a punchline, every cameo a wink, and the whole thing feels like a stoner version of Looney Tunes.

Is it cinema? No. Is it funny? If you’re 16 and/or extremely high, yes, and there’s something admirable about its utter lack of shame.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Trailer

Clerks III (2022)

Clerks III is basically the culmination of everything Smith has built, and it’s meta to the max – a movie about making a movie, and i’s also Smith grappling with his own near death experience.

There’s still plenty of humor, though and watchable, and if Clerks was the thesis, this is the elegy.

Clerks III Trailer

Red State (2011)

Red State is the film where Smith attempts to reinvent himself, and the results were surprisingly effective I thought.

And while it doesn’t always know where it’s going, and the ending is a bit baffling, it’s a bold pivot for a guy best known for dick jokes and stoner wisdom, and I liked it overall.

Red State Trailer

The 4:30 Movie

Drawing heavily from Smith’s own teenage years, this film attempts to captures his deep affection for moviegoing and the simple magic of youth spent at the cinema.

I think it stands as one of Smith’s most sentimental works, and it’s a heartfelt tribute to friendship, first love, and the power of movies themselves.

The 4:30 Movie Trailer

Clerks II (2006)

Clerks II ages with its characters, where Dante and Randal are now working at a fast food joint, still debating movies, and still refusing to grow up, and while it doesn’t come close to topping the original, it’s certainly a worthy continuation to the story.

Clerks II Trailer

Mallrats (1995)

Smith’s sophomore effort bombed on release but has since become somewhat of a cult classic, and it’s basically Clerks in color, but set in a mall.

It brilliantly captures the spirit of the ’90s mall culture and wraps it in a warm blanket of nerdy references and juvenile humor, and is a film I love to re-watch now and again.

Mallrats Trailer

Chasing Amy (1997)

Chasing Amy is the most mature film in the early part of Smith’s career, where he tackles love, sexuality, jealousy, and the absolute disaster of trying to change someone to fit your expectations.

It also doesn’t end with a tidy bow, but that’s exactly the point.

Chasing Amy Trailer

Dogma (1999)

Dogma might be the most ambitious film Smith ever made, as it tackles themes such as religion, faith, dogma (hence the title), and 0h, and it also has a shit demon. Balance!

The satire is sharp throughout though, and the questions it raises are surprisingly thoughtful, and if you only know Smith for his stoner comedies, Dogma will completely recalibrate your expectations.

Dogma Trailer

Clerks (1994)

This is the origin point. The ur-text. The zero-budget black-and-white masterpiece that launched a thousand beards.

Clerks is a mission statement. It says, “Yes, your crappy job matters. Yes, your endless pop culture arguments are worth listening to. Yes, your life, as unremarkable as it seems, is cinema.”

It’s raw, hilarious, and painfully real. Dante and Randal are two of the most honest characters ever put to film, and it also has one of the best final lines in indie film history.

Clerks is DIY just filmmaking at its best.

Clerks Trailer

Final Thoughts

Kevin Smith’s career is as messy and unpredictable as the man himself, but it’s never boring and always interesting, mostly, even if you do have to sit through a couple bratwurst Nazis to get there.

Kevin Smith is a film maker though whose films I will always watch, regardless.

Simon Leasher

A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More

And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.