Kevin Smith has been directing films since 1994. He broke through with Clerks, a low-budget black-and-white comedy shot in the New Jersey convenience store where he worked.
His films are talkative, rude, sentimental and packed with pop culture references. Many of them share characters and jokes, in a loose shared world fans call the View Askewniverse.
This guide lists every feature film he has directed, in release order. It then explains the story order, which is slightly different.
Kevin Smith Movies in Release Order
| # | Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clerks | 1994 | Directorial debut; Smith also plays Silent Bob |
| 2 | Mallrats | 1995 | Second film; a bigger studio comedy |
| 3 | Chasing Amy | 1997 | Romantic drama; a step up in ambition |
| 4 | Dogma | 1999 | Religious satire with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon |
| 5 | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | 2001 | The duo take centre stage |
| 6 | Jersey Girl | 2004 | A softer drama starring Ben Affleck |
| 7 | Clerks II | 2006 | Dante and Randal return, ten years on |
| 8 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | 2008 | Raunchy romantic comedy with Seth Rogen |
| 9 | Cop Out | 2010 | Buddy-cop comedy; Smith directed but did not write it |
| 10 | Red State | 2011 | A dark thriller, far from his comedies |
| 11 | Tusk | 2014 | Horror that began as a podcast joke |
| 12 | Yoga Hosers | 2016 | Horror-comedy follow-up to Tusk |
| 13 | Jay and Silent Bob Reboot | 2019 | A return to the View Askewniverse |
| 14 | KillRoy Was Here | 2022 | Horror anthology film |
| 15 | Clerks III | 2022 | Dante, Randal and the Quick Stop gang return |
| 16 | The 4:30 Movie | 2024 | His most recent directed feature |
That is the complete list of feature films Smith has directed to date. Anything beyond The 4:30 Movie is not treated here as a released film, because no later directed feature has a confirmed release.
Credit: screenrant.com
The Films in Brief
Clerks (1994)
Dante is called into work at the Quick Stop on his day off. Randal, from the video store next door, spends the day winding him up.
Shot in black and white on a tiny budget, it is still Smith’s defining film. It introduces Jay and Silent Bob, who drift through the background of the story.
Mallrats (1995)
Two friends get dumped on the same day and head to the mall to win their girlfriends back. Jason Lee, Shannen Doherty and Jeremy London star.
It flopped on release and found its audience later. It is broader and sillier than Clerks, and Jay and Silent Bob have a much bigger part.
Chasing Amy (1997)
Holden, a comic-book writer, falls for Alyssa, who is open about her past relationships with women. His insecurity wrecks the relationship.
This is the film where Smith proved he could write drama as well as jokes. It remains his most respected early work.
Dogma (1999)
Two fallen angels, played by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, find a loophole that would let them back into Heaven. Doing so would end existence.
Bethany, played by Linda Fiorentino, has to stop them. Alan Rickman, Salma Hayek and Chris Rock co-star, and Jay and Silent Bob appear in supporting roles.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Jay and Silent Bob head to Hollywood to stop a film based on the comic-book characters based on them. Almost every familiar face from the earlier films turns up.
It was sold at the time as a farewell to the View Askewniverse. It was not, as later films showed.
Jersey Girl (2004)
A widowed father, played by Ben Affleck, raises his young daughter with help from his own father, played by George Carlin.
It is Smith’s gentlest film, and the least typical. Viewers expecting a Clerks-style comedy may be surprised by how straight it plays.
Clerks II (2006)
Ten years after the first film, Dante and Randal now work at a fast-food restaurant called Mooby’s. Dante is engaged and planning to leave New Jersey.
It is funnier and warmer than the original in places, and far more explicit in others. Rosario Dawson joins the cast as Becky.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Two broke flatmates, played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, decide to make an adult film to pay their bills. They then fall for each other.
It is a conventional romantic comedy with an unconventional premise. The friendship is the best part of it.
Cop Out (2010)
Two New York detectives, played by Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, chase a stolen baseball card. Smith directed the film but did not write it.
That matters. It is the one film on this list that does not sound like a Kevin Smith script, because it is not one.
Red State (2011)
Three teenagers answer a personal ad and walk into a trap set by a fundamentalist preacher, played by Michael Parks.
It is a tense, angry thriller about extremism. It divided Smith’s audience, but it is one of his most serious films.
Tusk (2014)
A podcaster travels to Canada to interview an eccentric old sailor, played by Michael Parks. The sailor has a very specific plan for him, involving a walrus suit.
The idea started as a joke on Smith’s podcast. It is body horror played with a straight face, and it is not for everyone.
Yoga Hosers (2016)
Two teenage shop assistants, played by Smith’s daughter Harley Quinn Smith and Johnny Depp’s daughter Lily-Rose Depp, fight an army of tiny Nazi sausages.
It shares characters and a world with Tusk. It is lighter, sillier and aimed at a younger audience than its predecessor.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
Jay and Silent Bob head back to Hollywood, this time to stop a reboot of the film based on them. The joke is that the film itself is the reboot.
It is packed with callbacks. New viewers will enjoy parts of it, but it works best if you have seen the earlier films.
KillRoy Was Here (2022)
A horror anthology built around a killer known as KillRoy. It was made with fan involvement and had a limited release.
It is the least seen film on this list. Horror fans curious about Smith’s darker side should start with Red State and Tusk first.
Clerks III (2022)
After a heart attack, Randal decides the friends should make a film about their lives working at the Quick Stop. Dante is not sure he wants to relive it.
The film mirrors Smith’s own heart attack in 2018. It is the most reflective of the Clerks films, and the saddest.
The 4:30 Movie (2024)
Three friends spend a Saturday sneaking into films at their local cinema in 1986. It is a love letter to growing up going to the movies.
It is Smith’s most recent directed feature, and his most personal since Clerks III.
Release Order vs Story Order: The View Askewniverse
Most of Smith’s films stand alone. You do not need a timeline to enjoy them. But the View Askewniverse films — Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot and Clerks III — share characters and events.
There is one wrinkle. Smith has said the events of Mallrats take place about a day before the events of Clerks, even though Clerks was released first.
So the story order for the shared-world films is:
- Mallrats (1995)
- Clerks (1994)
- Chasing Amy (1997)
- Dogma (1999)
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
- Clerks II (2006)
- Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
- Clerks III (2022)
For a first watch, release order is simpler and just as good. The story-order swap only matters for the Mallrats and Clerks pair.
In What Order Should You Watch Kevin Smith Movies?
For most viewers, release order is the best choice. You see Smith’s style change over thirty years, from the raw Clerks to the reflective Clerks III.
For returning fans, the story order above adds a small pleasure: watching Mallrats first makes a few Clerks jokes land differently.
A third option is the short path. If you only want the essentials, watch Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Clerks II and Clerks III. That gives you the heart of his work.
Is Mallrats a Prequel to Clerks?
Not exactly. Mallrats is not a prequel in the usual sense, and it does not continue Clerks directly.
But Smith has said its events happen just before Clerks in the shared timeline. The two films share the same world, the same New Jersey setting, and Jay and Silent Bob.
Is Dogma a Jay and Silent Bob Movie?
No. Jay and Silent Bob appear in Dogma, but they are supporting characters, not the leads.
The film centres on Bethany and the two fallen angels. It belongs to the View Askewniverse, but it is not a Jay and Silent Bob film in the way Strike Back and Reboot are.
What About the Animated Film?
Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! (2013) is an animated comedy written by Smith. Smith did not direct it, so it is not counted in the directed list above.
It is a fun extra for fans of the duo, not a required stop on a first watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Kevin Smith’s first movie?
Clerks (1994). He wrote, directed, edited, co-produced and appeared in it as Silent Bob.
What is Kevin Smith’s most recent movie?
The 4:30 Movie (2024). It is his most recent directed feature film.
Do you need to watch Kevin Smith movies in order?
No. Most of them work on their own. Watching in release order helps with the shared-world films, because jokes and characters carry over.
Which Kevin Smith movie should I start with?
Start with Clerks if you like indie comedy, or Chasing Amy if you want his best-written film. Start with Dogma if you want the biggest cast and the boldest premise.
Final Thoughts
Smith’s career runs from a convenience store in New Jersey to a thirty-year filmography. The early comedies made his name, the middle films tested his range, and the later Clerks films look back with unusual honesty.
Watch in release order, and the change across the decades is the real story.
