A.V. Opinions: I want to change the ending of Kevin Smith’s Red State
Kevin Smith’s Red State is a bold, chilling, and fantastic movie that proves his talent stretches far beyond stoner comedies and superhero commentary. It’s a gripping horror-thriller with razor-sharp social commentary and one of the most terrifying depictions of religious fanaticism ever put to film. But for all the greatness it delivers, the ending is one of those moments where I can’t help but wish Smith had gone in a different direction.
In the film’s climactic moments, the religious zealots who have spent the entire movie proving how truly dangerous their faith has made them are stopped in their tracks by the sound of a trumpet. For a second, you think this is it. The crazy fanatics were right all along. Their vengeful God, the one they’ve been preaching about in terrifying detail, has returned to save them and bring divine judgment. It’s a moment of pure existential dread, a spine-tingling glimpse into the possibility that these religious monsters were actually right.
But then… it’s revealed that the trumpet sound wasn’t divine intervention. Nope, it’s just some college kids playing a prank. The horror fizzles out, replaced by an anticlimactic sense of relief. Don’t get me wrong, the ending works on some level. It’s a clever twist and in line with Smith’s grounded, ironic storytelling style. But it also feels like a missed opportunity to deliver what could’ve been one of the most jaw-dropping horror endings of all time.
Imagine if the trumpet sound was the rapture. Imagine the zealots smiling with vindication as their God actually returned for them. No SWAT team, no justice, just cut to credits on the terrifying reality that these people were right, and we’re all doomed. It would’ve cemented Red State as the ultimate religious horror film, leaving viewers haunted by the implications of that ending.
As it stands, Red State is still an incredible film. It’s bold, unsettling, and brilliantly acted (John Goodman and Michael Parks are phenomenal). But man, if the ending had gone full apocalyptic, it could’ve been transcendent. It’s still a must-watch, but it’s hard not to wonder what might’ve been if Smith had leaned into the darkest possible conclusion and cut to the credits with that eerie trumpet sound.
-Brad McBoom