Spoiler Alert: This articles contains spoilers for the new Kevin Smith movie Clerks 3.Writer/director Kevin Smith has grown in immense popularity after the success of his 1994 classic indie flick Clerks. What started as a small, low-budget flick about a guy in a convenience store has grown to an entire filmography of connected films that tell different stories. Smith’s cinematic universe under his View Askew production name, the “View Askewniverse,” has grown to nearly 10 films. His most recent film Clerks 3 is perhaps his most ambitious yet. The film focuses on fan favorite characters Dante and Randal, played by Brian O’ Halloran and Jeff Anderson, who are on a mission to make a movie about their lives after Randal suffers a heart attack.

Smith has been on tour with this film around the country on his Clerks 3 Convenience Tour. There he is showing the film to a live audience and providing tidbits and a Q&A for audience members. Smith is truly a filmmaker for the fans and for lovers of film in general. But Clerks 3 is perhaps his deepest after his recent heart attack and near-death experience. The film has quite a lot to say about the sanctity of life, the beauty of friendship, and the importance of storytelling. In addition to the dramatic themes, the film is also filled with references to his original film and its sequel.

References and Cameos in Clerks 3

Shoplift sign in the Quik Stop in Clerks 3
Lionsgate

The third installment to this beloved franchise features nods to many of Smith’s film properties. However, there are notable sequences that pay homage to the original Clerks. The opening scene to the third film features a recreation of the original's beginning, and the famous rooftop hockey scene is also featured in the third. In addition to Mooby's restaurant from Clerks 2, the iconic Quick Stop Groceries is given the most prominent spotlight as it has been the heart and soul of the franchise.

Clerks 3 also features some of the most surprising cameos in all of Smith’s films to date. Returning members of the View Askewniverse include Donnell Rawlings, Melissa Benoist, Ben Affleck, Smith’s real-life wife Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, and their daughter Harley Quinn Smith. Some newer cameos include the stars of the hit television comedy reality series Impractical Jokers and star of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian and the depressingly brilliant Bojack Horseman, Amy Sedaris, who is featured in a sequence that ironically pokes fun at the Star Wars franchise. There are also returning cast members from the first film, including Marilyn Ghigliotti who plays Veronica, and Scott Sciaffo who portrays the Chewlies Rep.

Related: Veronica Returns as Marilyn Ghigliotti Wraps Filming on Clerks III

The film is one that is for New Jersey, by by New Jersey. Like the first movie, Smith filmed the entirety of Clerks 3 in the Garden State. While Smith’s films are filled with self-aware humor towards the director himself, this film and the original Clerks are his biggest love letters to New Jersey. With references to popular local establishments like Wawa, fans from the state can share in Smith’s admiration for the state that started it all.

Most of the references in Clerks 3 are fun and meant to bring a sense of nostalgia from Kevin Smith fans, like a small Mallrats cameo. However, the film conveys elements from Smith’s real life to make this installment the most dramatic yet of the director’s filmography.

Analysis of Clerks 3

Dante in the movie Clerks 3
Lionsgate

Most of the Clerks franchise has been about breaking out of the mundanity of the day in, day out routine and starting something new. Kevin Smith’s own experiences over the past few years have played a large influence on this film. In 2018, Smith suffered a massive heart attack whilst performing a comedy special for Showtime. He has spoken in detail about the experience on various talk shows including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Smith's depiction of Randal's heart attack is nearly word for word of how he described his real life heart attack in the interview.

The inciting incident of this film involves Randall experiencing that aforementioned heart attack. His motivation to direct a movie is fueled by a near hit with death. Smith has used his own experiences to inspire audiences to achieve what they want in the time that they have. Ultimately, the film is about one’s own mortality and how precious life is. While it is shocking that the film kills off Rosario Dawson’s character Becky from Clerks 2, it pushes the notion of life’s fragile nature. (Dawson herself is a prominent member of the Star Wars universe, playing Ahsoka, which only extends the connections here).

Related: Exclusive: Rosario Dawson Discusses the Surprising Way She Returns to Clerks 3

The characters in this franchise are as real as can be and have been a part of cinema for almost 30 years. Seeing death hit their inner-circle is like holding a mirror at the audience themselves. Death nearly comes for Randall, but seeing him survive gives the audience a bit of hope for a happy ending. However, the film aligns with Smith’s original idea for the very first film, perhaps the most shocking moment in the entire View Askew catalog — the death of Dante Hicks.

The Ending of Clerks 3

Rosario Dawson as Becky Scott with Dante in Clerks 3
Lionsgate

After all, Smith has been planning this since the very beginning (and the first film's original ending, where Dante is shot, has been put on YouTube by Kevin Smith). But it still comes as a surprise to see the star of the entire Clerks trilogy die of a heart attack, but not before seeing Randal’s final cut for his movie. While sitting on the hospital bed, Dante views the footage from Smith’s original black and white film. This franchise is no stranger to entering very meta territories. Clips from Clerks play before Dante’s eyes with Randal beside him.

In an almost dreamlike state, Dante witnesses his life flash before his eyes beside his also deceased wife, Becky. The two are shown in an empty movie theater as Clerks plays before them. As the flickering light from the projector comes to an end, the two are ready to leave the theater. This is Smith's most metaphorical and symbolic moment as their flickering light from life has faded away just like the projector's. Dante dies shortly after on the hospital bed and a funeral sequence is shown soon after.

While it might seem like the Clerks franchise has come to a close, Smith has no plans of stopping. Dante has become the “force ghost” of these films and there could be a possibility of a Clerks 4. Smith continues to utilize the evolving nature of film to tell the stories he wants to tell. He parodied the age of reboots and remakes in his recent film Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which he also took around the country in a road show format. Smith is a director who has established a real relationship with his audience who come together to experience his work in a live communal setting. Whether there are any additional films or not, the Clerks trilogy we have has immortalized these characters, making them friends for life.