WFG RATING: A

Saban Films presents a Destro Films/Smodco Productions film in association with Three Point Capital. Written, edited, and directed by Kevin Smith. Produced by Liz Destro, Joshua Bachove, and Jordan Montesano. Cinematography by Yaron Levy. 

Stars Austin Zajur, Siena Agudong, Nicholas Cirillo, Reed Northrup, Ken Jeong, Genesis Rodriguez, Kate Micucci, Rosario Dawson, Jason Lee, Rachel Dratch, Brian O’Halloran, Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, Logic, Jason Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, and Harley Quinn Smith.

Kevin Smith brings us his most personal film to date in this 1980s drama about friendship, romance, and movies. 

Brian David has been missing his crush Melody Barnegat. He decides to call her at her job and ask her to a movie. The movie in question is a film adaptation of her mother’s favorite detective novel. She agrees to go but can’t go until the 4:30 showing. Waiting for meet with Melody, Brian decides to meet up with his two buddies Burny and Belly to go to the theater to enjoy a show.

Upon their arrival at the theater, they have to contend with theater manager Mike, the usher, and for Brian, he has to deal with his parents calling the theater and to make matters worse, the buddies getting banned from the place when they cause too many shenanigans. When Brian finds himself banned from the theater, he realizes that Burny is constantly riding him about his date with Melody and this causes a rift in their friendship and this leads to a revelation as to why Brian is who he is. Will he still be able to make his date work somehow?

Thirty years after making his breakout debut feature, Clerks, Kevin Smith is considered an icon in the indie film world. Yes, his subsequent films have been hit or miss at times, most hit though. However, this film, set in the 1980s, is definitely his most personal film and seems to be somewhat semi-autobiographical. And any fan who loves movies should definitely check this one out. 

Austin Zajur is excellent in the role of Brian, a cinephile who has his dream date coming when he asks his crush, Melody, played by Siena Agudong, at her job. We see Brian having to wait until the titular 4:30 showing of the film, which means he can reminisce and also hang out with his two best friends at the local theater, which was actually shot at a New Jersey theater that Smith himself is part-owner. 

Where Clerks had the hijinks at the convenience store, there are loads of hijinks in the movie theater here. Especially when it comes to Brian’s besties Burny and Belly, played respectively by Nicholas Cirillo and Reed Northrup. We even get to see the good ol’ gang from Smith’s legacy. Jeff Anderson’s cameo as a “concerned dad” in line is quite hilarious. Smith’s wife Jennifer and daughter Harley Quinn as well as Jason Mewes show up as characters in a faux trailer for a film called “Sister Sugar Walls”. 

Ken Jeong is absolutely hilarious as the theater manager Mike, who in two instances berates Brian for having his mother, played by SNL veteran Rachel Dratch, interrupt important business calls to talk to him, which leads to a quick cameo from Jason Lee as Brian’s dad. His reactions and comic timing are the best he’s done since The Hangover proving what a comic genius he is. It is to where one will question how Zajur kept his composure during filming with him. 

The faux trailers are a hoot as well. The aforementioned “Sister Sugar Walls” is like the 1980s cult classic Angel only replace a high schooler with a nun. Then there’s this reviewer’s personal favorite, “Booties”, inspired by the Ghoulies franchise, where we see Jason Biggs’ construction worker fall prey to the titular creature while on a port-a-potty. 

The 4:30 Movie is definitely one of Kevin Smith’s best and will attract cinephiles of old and new with those who love the 80s definitely relishing in the fun. A great young cast mixed with Ken Jeong’s hilarious comic wit makes this one a total winner! 

The film comes out exclusively in select theaters on September 13