Clerks (1994) Review

"You open?"
-Literally Everyone



Clerks follows a day in the life of convenience store clerk, Dante (Brian O'Halloran), as he works a shift he wasn't scheduled for.  He has to deal with drug dealers, annoying customers, and his trouble-making friend, Randal (Jeff Anderson), who works at the video store next door.


What Works:

The strongest aspect of Clerks is the dialogue.  This is a really funny film and extremely well written.  It's too good for some of the actors, if I'm being honest.  Clerks is a surprisingly thoughtful movie and has a lot more to say than you'd expect from a movie about a convenience store employee.

The four leads all have great chemistry and give authentic performances.  They really feel like they've known each other for years.  Marilyn Ghigliotti gives a really impressive monologue near the end of the film and I'm surprised she and the late Lisa Spoonauer haven't been in more projects.  I love Jeff Anderson in some of Kevin Smith's other films and he's great here as well.

Brian O'Halloran's Dante is an excellent protagonist and way too relatable.  He's a funny, likable, but flawed character and this day of his life is surprisingly interesting.  He keeps this wacky movie grounded without being boring.

The low-budget actually really helps this film.  It wouldn't have the same impact if it were as shiny and polished as a studio film.  The low-budget makes the location and characters come to life and hit closer to home.

Finally, I love how dark this movie gets.  Caitlin's sexual encounter in the bathroom is disgusting and really funny in a nauseating way.  I really wasn't expecting Clerks to go that dark, but it works and it leaves an impression.


What Sucks:

My only complaints with this movie is a few of the bit part actors aren't very good, plus I can't stand Jay (Jason Mewes) in any movie he shows up in, but thankfully he only has a few scenes in this film.


Verdict:

Clerks is a surprisingly insightful film that has aged very well.  The performances are realistic, the dialogue is on point, and the low-budget makes the movie more effective.  A few of the smaller characters aren't great, but this movie has definitely got it going on.

 9/10: Great 

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