Netquix: Clerks (1994)

Netflix content reviewed in 150 words. Or thereabouts.

Clerks (1994)

Dir: Kevin Smith

92 minutes

Kevin Smith’s directorial debut might unwittingly be the ultimate grunge movie: a lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll discharge of Gen X slackerdom. Like said genre, the film’s dynamic alternates between quiet character contemplation and heavy bombastic bouts of extreme silliness, as Smith’s typically garrulous, endlessly-quotable dialogue bursts from the screen throughout.

Jay & Silent Bob: shirking.

Randal & Dante: working.

In fact, it’s easy to see Clerks as little more than a series of black and white skits with a through-line carried by phlegmatic under-achievers Dante and Randal (played with pitch-perfect understated presence by Brian O’Hallarn and Jeff Anderson). But it’s not just a string of YouTube moments: unlike its seemingly directionless 90’s youth, there’s a story at the heart of the hilarity. It's a story of love, rejection and irresponsibility, set during a day shift at a convenience store, and wrapped in an endearing cast of freaks, conversational highlights and dick jokes. Wonderful dick jokes. Get them in you. Now.

9/10