Randall (Jeff Anderson) just had a heart attack–and now that he’s on borrowed time, he enlists the help of his friends, Dante (Brian O’Halloran), Elias (Trevor Fehrman), and Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), to make a movie. The movie will take them back to the convenient store where it all began. Clerks III is the newest meta approach by Smith–and, spoiler, it’s some of the best work the world has seen by him.
With one of the greatest intros in film history, Clerks III starts off with a bang. As Smith takes us through everything that we all loved about Clerks, we are transported back to a place of simplicity, back to a place where we are able to sit back, relax, and forget the hardships of the world in which we live. Sometimes it’s hard to remember how profound Smith can be in his films because of the ridiculousness that exists throughout each of them–and while that comedy always provides a good laugh, it’s important to understand that Smith’s view of the world is profound and meaningful. Clerks III continues the View Askewniverse on a trajectory of subtly bettering the world, making it a more accessible place, and ultimately creating an avenue in cinema where there are no limits–seemingly the way in which Smith feels about the world.
O’Halloran displays some of the best acting that I’ve ever seen in the View Askewniverse. He’s passionate and full of emotion from beginning to end–and he, more than anything else in the entire film, makes this movie damn near perfect. Beyond how amazing he is throughout the course of Clerks III, he puts on one of the best performances that maybe I’ve ever seen (not just in the View Askewniverse), and he brought me close to tears on more than one occasion. A theme throughout the course of Clerks III is that behind the scenes Dante is the most integral piece of Randall’s film, but that translates to O’Halloran being the most integral piece of Clerks III–and that is the absolute truth.
Drama isn’t always the most prominent piece of the View Askewniverse. Sure, there’s drama between Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams in Chasing Amy, and it’s made its way around the franchise, but not like what viewers see here in what appears to be the definitive final installment of Smith’s series. O’Halloran is just one (albeit integral) piece of the overarching drama that transcends the length of Clerks III, and it feels like Smith found his footing better than ever in this film. The drama continues, and the film ultimately ends with Smith speaking to the audience and to the customers that he dealt with each and every day when working in the convenience store years ago. Like the rest of the film, Smith finds a way to bolster the emotion in Clerks III in his final monologue, and he ensures that viewers understand the importance of this franchise.
It’s no secret that since Clerks back in 1994 that none of the other View Askewniverse films, regardless of how entertaining they were and still are, lived up to that inaugural installation in Smith’s cinematic universe. Clerks III rivals Smith’s first feature film, and it just may be the best thing he’s made in nearly thirty years. Again, he’s found his footing here, developing something so profound and so emotional, and, just as importantly, the perfect combination of nostalgia and originality. With that, I’m not sure that anyone would question its place as the best film of 2022. I’ve seen the blockbuster films, the Marvel films (which I love), and maybe hundreds of independent projects since the start of 2022–and while many of them have been truly wonderful, I believe, with all my heart, that Clerks III is the best thing that I’ve seen all year. Not a moment passed throughout Clerks III where I wasn’t either laughing or holding back tears, and for me to get so emotional throughout the course of a film is a testament to this cast and crew. I’m not sure that you’ll ever see anything quite like Clerks III again, and I pray (to Jesus or Satan–either one will work) that Smith, O’Halloran, Anderson, and the rest find themselves in the limelight, being praised for this massive accomplishment.
Written & Directed by Kevin Smith.
Starring Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Rosario Dawson, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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