Kevin Smith broke out in Hollywood with the View Askewniverse, which remains one of modern cinema’s most consistent and surprisingly emotional comedy series. Starting with his debut film Clerks, the writer/director has made a habit of frequently returning to the universe throughout his career. Although Smith has branched out with other titles, like Red State (2011) or The 4:30 Movie (2024), and delved into the realms of television and comics, his most beloved works tend to be connected to the shared universe of his usually New Jersey-set films.
Melding stoner comedy with the vulnerable indie spirit of the 1990s, Smith’s View Askewniverse ends up creating a sprawling story with a couple of recurring characters and central themes. With Jay and Silent Bob (played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith himself) serving as consistent witnesses to a variety of tales across the shared universe, the View Askewniverse gradually became a nearly 30-year exercise in Smith bringing his life to the big screen. Here’s each entry in the View Asewniverse and the correct order to watch them on Apple TV+, Kanopy, and more.
Clerks (1994)
The first entry in the View Askewniverse and Kevin Smith’s feature debut as a filmmaker, Clerks is a great (if low-key) starting point for the series.The movie’s grounded but profanely goofy world introduces characters who will endure for the entire series, like Dante, Randal, and the stoner duo of Jay and Silent Bob. While the former two are the film’s protagonists (a role they will come back to twice over), Jay and Silent Bob’s wandering adventures make them the true connecting thread of the series.
What makes Clerks especially engaging in retrospect is the way its nerdy humor and heartfelt vulnerability connected with audiences. At a time when other grounded approaches to Gen X, like Sex, Lies, and Videotapes (1989), were catching audience attention, Clerks wasn’t afraid to fly its geek flag high. It’s a great introduction to the style of comedy and storytelling that will persist through the entire series, albeit grounded in a way that even the later realistic stories set in this universe can’t quite match. One of the most successful indie films of all time, Clerks is the beginning of the View Askewniverse and a strong foundation for what was to come.
Mallrats (1995)
Clerks established the View Askewniverse, but Jay and Silent Bob’s return in Mallrats solidified the larger universe of films. Similar to Clerks, the duo are supporting players in the film who largely serve as comic relief. Mallrats is a broader swing than Clerks, with more focus on the gross-out gags than the emotional touches. The film suffers as a result, with Mallrats among the entries in the series that have aged the worst. Still, a complete run of the View Askewniverse has to take a stop at the mall with Brody and T.S.
Mallrats is far more akin to the ‘90s mainstream sex comedy vibes of American Pie (1999) than the far more low-key Clerks. There are some amusing beats and bits, but this one is really only for completionists and fans of retro gross-out comedies. The film’s most important contribution to the world of film (beyond establishing that Smith’s movies would largely exist in a shared universe) was the inclusion of Stan Lee in a brief comedy role, establishing his on-screen persona that would later evolve into his famous Marvel Cinematic Universe cameos.
Chasing Amy (1997)
Chasing Amy was a major showcase for Smith, a real showing of his vulnerability as a filmmaker that may not have aged perfectly, but remains a compelling look at a flawed person trapped in a romantic tangle nonetheless. Chasing Amy focuses on comic book creators Holden McNeil and Banky Edwards, whose working relationship gets dragged into Holden's unexpectedly complicated romance with Alyssa, who identifies as a lesbian. Bold for its time and still potently vulnerable years later, Chasing Amy feels like the follow-up to Clerks’ more introspective moments and elements.
The biggest source of the traditionally goofy View Askewniverse comedy comes from Jay and Silent Bob, who appear in the film as creative collaborators with Holden and Banky. The stoner superheroes based on them, Bluntman and Chronic, become a recurring element throughout the series and even get an in-universe film adaptation. This little bit in Chasing Amy serves as the impetus for several future entries in the series and gives the movie most of its comedy, while the central plot is a character dramedy focus, similar in tone to other acclaimed romantic dramedies of the time like Before Sunrise (1995) or Reality Bites (1994).
Dogma (1999)
Kevin Smith’s most ambitious movie, Dogma, is a silly exploration of faith and redemption that also happens to feature giant poop monsters. Shifting focus to Bethany, the modern-day descendant of Jesus, Dogma forces her on a quest to stop two renegade angels from returning to heaven and thereby ending the world. Dogma is Smith’s version of a fantasy epic, expanding the View Askewniverse in a way that no previous (or later) entry really has. Openly fantastical thanks to the inclusion of a muse, an apostle, and a devil in the search for God, Dogma is perfect for fans of fantasy comedies.
The biggest connection to the rest of the series remains Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes as Jay and Silent Bob. Dubbed “the prophets” by the Metatron, the pair end up accompanying Bethany and helping out in the fight against Bartleby and Loki. Big, bold, unapologetically funny but unwavering in its faith about the complicated goodness and sympathetic flaws of life, Dogma is the best entry in the View Askewniverse and pushes the boundaries of what this series could do.
Clerks: The Animated Series (2000-2001)
One of two animated entries in the View Askewniverse, Clerks: The Animated Series is a wacky addition to the series that doesn’t have much of an impact on the rest of the universe. The show brings back Randal and Dante, but leans into the animated medium for a more over-the-top and goofy approach to the characters. Often paired up with Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks: The Animated Series bears a tonal similarity to the likes of South Park (1997) and the early Adult Swim shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000) and SeaLab 2021 (2000).
Infamously taken off the air after only a few episodes, Clerks: The Animated Series is a light and pretty funny diversion for the View Askewniverse. Similar to the way Dogma pushes the limits of the setting and allows for more ambitious genre swings, Clerks: The Animated Series leans into the bigger comic potential of being a cartoon. It’s a quick, perfectly silly aside for fans of the View Askewniverse.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Originally intended to close the book on the View Askewniverse (ending with a cameo from the God of Dogma literally doing just that), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a funny victory lap for the series that brings back lots of familiar faces. While the cross-country comedy about Jay and Silent Bob trying to stop the Bluntman and Chronic movie from going into production works just fine for regular audiences, the frequent cameos and references to the previous movies in the unofficial series make it a more fulfilling watch for longtime fans.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is the right level of irreverent to make up for its barebones arcs, indulging in characters played by Will Ferrell and a hilariously self-aware Mark Hamill to great effect. Ending on a Morris Day and the Time concert, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a goofy would-be ending for the series that is perfect for anyone who likes the go-for-broke comedy of Half Baked (1998), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), or BASEketball (1998).
Clerks 2 (2006)
Revisiting the View Askewniverse five years after initially saying goodbye to it, Kevin Smith reflected on his experience entering middle age with the crass and emotional Clerks 2. Randal and Dante return, having shifted from the burned-down convenience store to a fast food restaurant. Much of the film is rooted in the love triangle Dante finds himself in. Clerks 2 works really well as a retrospection on the nature of friendship, especially ones that can take on some toxic elements despite the enduring bond between.
A similar beat exists between Jay and Silent Bob, who return as supporting comic relief and carry on their role as the connective tissue between the various entries of the series. Clerks 2 feels true to the original while being rooted in a new, more mature emotional place. Clerks 2 is closer to the more emotional era of comedies, like Knocked Up (2007), than the broad comedy of something like Mallrats, making it a worthwhile revisit to Jersey for fans of Clerks.
Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! (2013)
Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! is probably the least essential entry in the View Askewniverse, but it is a fun time for fans who enjoy the wacky comedy of Clerks: The Animated Series. The film serves as a realization of the Bluntman and Chronic storyline from earlier films in the universe, a feature-length superhero parody that leans wholeheartedly into the sophomore style of comedy.
With the kind of jokes that Rick & Morty (2013) would perfect in later years, and a sense of humor akin to a stoner Batman ‘66, the silly superhero parody is a lighthearted but fittingly funny expansion of the series in a throwback way. Although the film doesn’t really bring back too many characters from the previous films beyond Jay and Silent Bob, it is fun to see the over-the-top concepts from the in-universe franchise finally realized in their full goofball potential.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
Bringing the spotlight back to Jay and Silent Bob, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot offers Smith a chance to use the View Askewniverse to comment on the nature of film reboots, nostalgia, and legacy. Focused on the titular pair once again traveling across the country in a bid to prevent a movie from getting made, the emotional core of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot makes it one of the better examples of the legacy sequel that actually cares about showing the characters grow up.
A perfect companion piece to Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020), Jay and Silent Bob Reboot works a lot better than it really should, with an emotional core helping to ground a movie that puts Silent Bob in an Iron Man armor and has him impersonate the Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan to help fool a band of racists.
Clerks III (2022)
The most recent entry in the View Askewniverse at the time of writing, Clerks III is a deeply emotional farewell to one of the characters that helped establish the series in the first place. Taking place years after Clerks 2 and expanding the tragic life of Dante afterward, the movie takes on an autobiographical element when Randal decides to make a movie about his time at the Quick Stop. The result is a tribute to the legacy that Clerks set up for him, all while giving Kevin Smith a chance to reflect on getting older and his experience turning his life into material for his films.
Clerks III is perhaps the most emotional entry in the View Askienverse series, a raw nerve of a movie that lets Randal and Dante go deep in some pretty dramatic ways and effectively serves as a farewell for the characters. Closer to something like The Descendants (2011) or The Big Chill (1983) rather than most of the stoner comedy that filled many entries in the series, Clerks III is the biggest vulnerable swing Smith has ever taken and a perfect capstone to the View Askewniverse. If you like Kevin Smith at all, this is a must-watch.
