Writer/director Kevin Smith burst onto the filmmaking scene in a big way in 1994 with the low-budget comedy Clerks. Smith introduced the world to the characters Jay and Silent Bob (the latter played by Smith himself). Those characters appear in most of Smith’s films, including Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and, of course, the Jay and Silent Bob films.

His films are primarily set in his home state of New Jersey, taking the geographically specific page from Richard Linklater, who sets his films primarily in Texas. In fact, when Smith saw Linklater’s Slacker on his 21st birthday in 1990, it inspired him to become a director and set his films where he lived. In the book The Film That Changed My Life by Richard Elder, Smith said, “It was the movie that got me off my ass; it was the movie that lit a fire under me, the movie that made me think, 'Hey, I could be a filmmaker.' And I had never seen a movie like that before ever in my life.”

Most of Smith’s films take place in the fictional universe called the View Askewniverse, which is made up of recurring characters who appear in a number of his films. Additionally, Smith is known for casting the same actors for more than one character in the universe and even sometimes in the same film. It’s not just Smith’s impressive slate of hits and casts that audiences have him to thank for. Smith was also integral in getting another hit from the 1990s made – Good Will Hunting. Smith, alongside Tarantino, Spike Lee, Robert Rodriguez, and Richard Linklater, was a voice of the new film scene in the 1990s independent cinema.

Today, Smith has become more than a successful filmmaker. He hosts several podcasts, owns his own movie theaters and comic book store, and has become an icon even outside of his films. Thankfully, he is still making movies to this day and has no intention of retiring anytime soon. He has an impressive filmography that will only grow with time. Here are Kevin Smith’s best films, ranked.

Update January 22, 2024: Today marks the 30th anniversary of when Clerks premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, so this article has been updated by Samuel Cormier with more Kevin Smith films and where you can stream each title.

8 Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Jay and Silent Bob are fixtures in Kevin Smith’s Askewniverse, and made their debut in Clerks as slackers selling marijuana in front of a convenience store. Played by Jason Mewes (as Jay) and Kevin Smith (as the appropriately named Silent Bob), the two met in front of Quick Stop Groceries when they were babies while their moms were shopping inside the record store (according to Askewniverse legend). Jay and Silent Bob have appeared in all the Askewniverse films. In their first dedicated movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the two buddies discover that a Hollywood movie was based on them, so they head to Los Angeles and try to claim their dues (an obvious reference to Smith's very filmography).

What Makes It Great

Fans loved seeing their favorite characters from the Askewniverse get their very own film. However, for the uninitiated, this movie can miss the mark. The plot is quite flat, and most of the jokes don't land, with some particularly crude ones. But with knowledge of the context of the surrounding Askewniverse films, there are many Easter eggs all throughout, holding deeper meaning. In the end, viewers cannot help but find themselves rooting for this lazy drug-dealing pair -- and appreciating all the Star Wars references.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is currently streaming on Prime and Paramount+.

7 Mallrats (1995)

In 1995, Smith unleashed Mallrats, another Askewniverse film. Starring Ben Affleck, Shannen Doherty, Jeremy London, Jason Lee, and Joey Lauren Adams, the film revolves around Brodie (Lee) and TS (London), who were both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day and decide to head to the mall to try and get over them. Along the way, they interact with Jay and Silent Bob and a number of the Askewniverse characters.

What Makes It Great

The film was a disappointment at the box office and with critics but it remains beloved by many Smith fans (similar to any sophomore release). Audiences who had seen the successful Clerks struggled to see the appeal in this random story about college bums. But Mallrats is actually the prequel to Clerks, and it was all about setting more context to the recurring characters of the Askewniverse, albeit with a duller plot and an overuse of sexual jokes and themes. Nonetheless, Smith managed to develop coherent characters, to whom many might relate. Today, Mallrats is a time capsule of 90s references that most will enjoy with nostalgia. Mallrats is getting the sequel treatment: Twilight of the Mallrats is in pre-production and hasn’t been given a release date.

Mallrats is currently streaming on Starz.

Related: Kevin Smith Wrote a Superman Movie For Ben Affleck

6 Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

Eighteen years after the first film came out, the sequel Jay and Silent Bob Reboot was released. In the meantime, though, the pair got no less than one animated film (not directed by Smith), two video games, and two mobile games dedicated to them -- aside from their usual appearances in Askewniverse movies. This second film, especially, plays like one long inside joke/love letter to Smith’s Askewniverse fans. Taking place after the events of the first film, whose ending we will not spoil, Jay and Silent Bob are back in Los Angeles to try and stop the production of another movie made by the same company.

What Makes It Great

Although this film was a box office flop with $4.7 million earned against a $10 million budget, it was a hit with fans. This movie was much more thought-through than the first, and the jokes land much better -- albeit still very crude, and not for every audience. It is no surprise that fans were happy to see the duo in their own film again after almost two decades. The comedic pair is at their best in this fan-serving installment, making it a treasure trove of references for Askewniverse fans. Now there is news of a third film on the way.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is available to rent on Prime, Apple TV, and Vudu.

5 Clerks III (2023)

Clerks II was good, but it was certainly one of the weaker films in the franchise, as it forgot a bit about what made the original film so appealing and felt more like an attempt to make a more mainstream R-rated comedy. Clerks III reignited the audiences' love for the franchise by returning the series back to its roots in more ways than one. Following the film-within-a-film trope, store clerk Randal decides to make a movie about his job after surviving a near-death experience that mirrored Smith's own heart attack.

What Makes It Great

While Clerks III was not a hit with critics, Smith fans and general audiences enjoyed it. As the final installment in the trilogy, it nicely nods to the importance of the Quick Stop in Smith's body of work. Less comedic and more emotional than his usual style, Clerks III features an ending that left fans tearing up: Smith, as his director self, thanks the audience for watching and announces that Randal kept making movies alongside working at the Quick Stop his whole life. This film is probably as close as an autobiography of Smith as fans will get.

Clerks III is currently streaming on Starz.

4 Dogma (1999)

Dogma was released in 1999 and had an incredible cast, featuring Janeane Garofalo, George Carlin, Salma Hayek, Alanis Morissette, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, and the late great Alan Rickman. In the film, two rogue angels are prevented from re-entering heaven by an employee at an abortion clinic, which is fortunate; if the angels were to re-enter heaven, the fabric of the universe would come undone. Jay and Silent Bob play some prophets in this Askewniverse film, which lovingly satirizes religion, greatly helped by Smith's own lapsed Catholic upbringing.

What Makes It Great

Dogma was an absolute success for Smith fans and non-fans alike because it does not require people to watch all his previous films to understand what is going on and who is who. The film grossed $44 million against a $10 million budget, making it the highest-grossing Askewniverse movie to date. It was even screened at the 1999 Cannes Festival. The plot is one of Smith's better-written ones, cleverly playing around important Catholic themes -- which, needless to say, sparked huge controversies.

The biggest highlights of this movie are the sets and costumes, featuring grandiose wings. Finally, the famous actors are a joy to watch in this absurd comedy, the highlight of whom is, of course, Rickman, who rarely appears in comedies. Fun fact: when Kevin Smith approached Rickman about playing Metatron, the British actor had two questions. He wanted to know if Smith planned to stay faithful to the script and if his wings were real or CGI.

Dogma is currently not available to stream or rent online.

Related: The Best Films With Religious Themes

3 Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

In 2008, Kevin Smith released the comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as the titular Zack and Miri, two Platonic friends who are broke and looking for a way to make money to pay their rent. Turning to pornography, the pair realize that they have deeper feelings for each other than they'd once thought. This is one of Smith’s films that is not set in the Askewniverse but in many ways a comedic take on Smith's own low-budget filmmaking to make Clerks, but with more sex.

What Makes It Great

Despite making $42 million worldwide, the film was seen as a slight disappointment given Rogen's involvement many expected it to be a Knocked Up level hit. Yet the film, despite the subject matter, is actually one of Smith's sweetest works. Rogen and Banks have amazing chemistry on screen, finding the perfect balance between the awkwardness and hidden feelings between their characters. Because Zack and Miri Make a Porno came out at the beginning of the 2008 global financial crisis, it resonated deeply with the legions of people facing financial uncertainty. During the pandemic and its resulting shutdowns and job losses, this delightful film became relevant yet again. It is a film that is just as relevant (and hilarious) as it was when it first came out.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is currently streaming on Paramount+.

2 Chasing Amy (1997)

In 1997, Kevin Smith released Chasing Amy, a different sort of romantic comedy for the time, starring Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams. Affleck’s character, Holden McNeil, is a comic book artist who falls hard for Alyssa Jones (Adams). There’s only one problem-- Alyssa is a lesbian. Holden needs to figure out how to grapple with his feelings, as well as his own insecurities around Alyssa's past.

What Makes It Great

Chasing Amy is the most critically acclaimed part of Smith’s Askewniverse and features a rather long speech by none other than Silent Bob in which he explains what the film's title means and accuses Holden of dragging Alyssa down for her sexuality because it doesn’t work with what he wants from her. Fun fact: At the time this film was made, Smith and Adams were dating, and reportedly, much of the storyline about Alyssa is about their relationship. Perhaps the authenticity helped make this film a bona fide rom-com masterpiece. While certainly some of the sexual politics have not aged well, the movie still was a major step forward in Smith's career and showed he could do more than just comedies but wanted to tackle more adult oriented drama.

Chasing Amy is currently streaming on Prime and Paramount+.

1 Clerks (1994)

The premise of Smith's 1994 debut and masterpiece, Clerks, is simple: a disgruntled convenience store clerk is called into work on his day off. Clerks hit theaters in 1994 and forever changed the way indie movies were made. Kevin Smith famously sold off a large portion of his comic book collection (that he’s since been able to buy back mostly) in order to finance the $27,000 he needed to make the film. Smith wrote, directed, produced, and acted in Clerks as Silent Bob, and just as Richard Linklater’s films inspired Smith, Clerks inspired Jason Reitman to become a filmmaker. Smith was able to keep the budget for Clerks down due largely to the fact that he worked in the store where he shot the film. He worked from 6 am to 11 pm and then shot Clerks until 4 am for 21 consecutive nights, but his hard work made Clerks one of the landmark films in American independent cinema.

What Makes It Great

Clerks was Smith's first film, the first Askewniverse movie, and an instant cult classic. What probably drew a lot of people to go see this movie, despite it being by an unknown director and low budget, is that working in a store is one of the most universally common part-time jobs. The characters are all quirky, realistic, and relatable, with cleverly written dialogue that is still quotable to this day. Although it was revealed in a 2019 interview that this decision was only made to cut costs, the film is shot in black and white (very unusual for the mid-90s), which adds to its charm and nostalgia. The film saw two sequels, Clerk II (2006) and Clerk III (2022), all of which serve as an ultimate Gen-X trilogy.

Clerks is currently streaming on Prime and Paramount+.