After Kevin Smith burst out of the gate with Clerks, one of the most unique and exciting directorial debuts to come out of the indie movie boom of the ‘90s, he followed it up with Mallrats, a movie that was far less critically acclaimed. But in the years since its release, Mallrats has amassed a cult following — and deservedly so.
Smith initially regretted the movie, jokingly apologizing for it at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards, but he’s since warmed to it, as he’s working on a sequel called Twilight of the Mallrats. The original is an underrated gem, and the belated sequel is a tantalizing prospect.
Underrated Gem: It’s An Interesting Successor To Clerks
The success of Clerks made Kevin Smith's Hollywood stock go up, and one of his most notable unproduced projects was Busing, described as “Clerks in a restaurant,” so it’s clear what producers were looking for.
Mallrats was clearly conceived as “Clerks in a mall,” as a successor to Smith’s debut feature, but there are differences that distinguish it, too, like a heavier focus on slapstick humor (and, of course, color).
Excited For The Sequel: Universal Is Supporting Smith’s Vision
Since Mallrats was Kevin Smith’s second movie, and his first for a major studio, there’s a lot of evidence of executives meddling in his singular vision in the finished product.
However, Smith set up the Mallrats sequel with Universal after forging a great working relationship with the studio on Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. So, this time, the executives are in Smith’s corner, supporting his vision.
Underrated Gem: It’s Delightfully Quirky
Comedies work best when they have a unique sensibility. Airplane! could’ve only been made by the Zuckers, Life of Brian could’ve only been made by the Monty Python troupe, etc. Granted, Mallrats is not as masterfully crafted as those movies, but it could’ve only been made by Kevin Smith.
Despite the obvious restrictions placed by the first major studio to finance one of Smith’s movies, it has his quirky sense of humor all over it.
Excited For The Sequel: Most Of The Major Characters Are Back
Mallrats contains some of the most beloved characters in the View Askewniverse, and a ton of them are coming back for the sequel. Kevin Smith has confirmed that the Twilight of the Mallrats script includes Brodie, T.S., Rene, Willam, Brandi, LaFours, Gwen, Trish, and Mr. Svenning.
Shannen Doherty is confirmed to return, with further casting confirmations surely to follow (although there’s no rush, as shooting is still a while away).
Underrated Gem: It’s A Great Hangout Movie
The premise of Mallrats is simple enough: a bunch of people hang out at the mall. There’s a loose-fitting plot involving the end of a relationship, but it’s mostly a string of vignettes revolving around a cast of characters in a single location.
In this spirit, Mallrats is a hangout movie in the mold of Dazed and Confused and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (and, in a sense, Clerks). It’s a breezy watch.
Excited For The Sequel: Jay And Silent Bob Are Back In Full Force
After rebooting Jay and Silent Bob in the appropriately titled Jay and Silent Bob Reboot last year, Kevin Smith is bringing the duo back as supporting players in the Mallrats sequel.
Smith noted in an Instagram post revealing the script’s completion that Jay and Silent Bob’s scenes in Twilight of the Mallrats are “some of my favorite conceptual comedy I’ve ever written,” which certainly sounds exciting.
Underrated Gem: Jason Lee Makes For A Hilarious Lead
It can’t have been easy for Kevin Smith to find an actor with great comic timing as well as enough charm to make a brazen jerk who angrily yells about sex and comic books likable. Alas, he found the perfect star for Mallrats in the form of Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce, the "hero" of the story.
Excited For The Sequel: Kevin Smith Has Been Working On It Since 2015
Development of a Mallrats sequel was first announced in 2015, with Kevin Smith beginning work on a script that he was hoping to shoot in 2016. Over the years, the sequel has turned into a TV miniseries before being turned back into a movie.
The final product that we’ll see when Twilight of the Mallrats hits theaters will be the very best parts out of the tons of material that Smith has devised for the follow-up in the past half-decade.
Underrated Gem: It’s Oddly Relatable
Underneath the absurd situations and over-the-top characters of Mallrats is something strangely relatable. This same relatability could be found in Clerks, but the reasoning there is obvious; it’s a rallying cry for young people stuck in dead-end jobs.
In Mallrats, that relatability comes from Kevin Smith’s writing style. It’s a perfect example of the rule that the more specific something is, the more universally relatable it will be.
Excited For The Sequel: Brodie’s Daughter Is The Star
What will set Twilight of the Mallrats apart from its predecessor and prevent it from feeling like a rehash of the original (a common problem with comedy sequels) is its focus on Brodie’s daughter, who will be played by Aparna Brielle.
Having been impressed with her work in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Kevin Smith built the entire Mallrats sequel around a character for Brielle to play.