Red State

This is a movie that for some reason, most likely mere coincidence, has been popping up wherever I look.  On Instant Netflix it almost always comes up on my recommended list because of other dark, gritty movies I've seen and for one reason or another I kept stumbling upon it on IMDb.com - arguably one of the most addictive sites on the web to date.  Finally I had a day with no school or work and shockingly no homework either so I sat down and finally watched it.

The summary that pops on Netflix (see below) didn't exactly move me to the edge of my seat; hence why it took me so long to actually watch it.  Generally when the words "sinister agenda" are used in a movie I'll pass for mere lack of creativity and use of generic cliche.  But... I gave it a chance because John Goodman is in it and when he is in a non-kids movie I'm almost always willing to watch it.

"Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex , though they soon find fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda."

A rather dashing picture of Mr. Goodman;
known for his disheveled characters.

Upon starting the movie I became worried because it seems just about as interesting as "sinister agenda" made it sound.  I was frustrated because 20 minutes or so into the film John Goodman still had yet to make an appearance.  And just when I was about to give up and head back to the main browsing screen there was a cut to Goodman being woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night.  Thankfully, upon his appearance the movie began to pick up.  I always think it's funny how a single actor can influence the quality of a film otherwise destined for apathy and a general lack of appeal.

The film still suffers from a slight over-doing of the uber-fundamentalist crackpots and sex crazed teenagers but makes up for it in the response thereof.  Capitalizing on the remaining humanity left in a few of the fundamentalists and the internal struggle of Goodman's character to stage a cover-up to save face for the ATF, the directors of Red State recover from a dismal beginning to finish with a relatively strong anecdote that portrays the faults of human nature.

Overall Rating: 7/10