Red State is something of a mystery. I did some research before watching the film and found that a lot of people either hate it or don't really know why Kevin Smith made it. I guess, the reason why people hate it so much is because it doesn't really follow the structure of any particular genre and sort of does its own thing. Also, people who normally aren't supposed to die in films, end up dying in this one. For me, that's fantastic! And it's not a long film. Just over 60 minutes. Quentin Tarantino, apparently, also fucking loves it. But that doesn't mean anything, unless you love Tarantino. I liked Red State because:
1. It's Kevin Smith doing something he's never done before.
2. The plot takes a major left turn about 30/40 minutes in.
3. Some of the things that happen are expected but then also, a lot of the stuff that happens, you just can't predict.
4. It's Kevin Smith taking a stab at religion and guns and the government and tons of other stuff.
5. It's Kevin Smith doing something he's never done before.
6. And I really need to emphasize this: it's Kevin fucking Smith doing something he has never done before.
Personally, I think he did a fantastic job with Red State. It's not a perfect film, but it takes risks and isn't just another mindless overly-ambitious film that is ambitious for no good reason. It's ambitious for all the right reasons.
And apparently, Kevin Smith only had about $5000 for the special effects. Red State has some nice special effects. And John Goodman is good, in Red State.