Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- witty
- absurd
- nostalgic movie night
- comedy double feature
What critics said
Critics generally found the broad, profane mall comedy an uneven and less effective follow-up to Clerks, though it expands Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse with colorful characters and pop-culture energy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Brodie's Sega and comic-book fixation drives his antagonistic attitude, romantic problems, and identity within the mall group.
The local mall contains the protagonists' friends, romantic rivals, game-show spectacle, retail enemies, and escalating schemes.
Brodie's gaming and comic-book interests, Magic Eye imagery, and View Askewniverse references establish a highly referential comic language.
Brodie and T.S. respond to being dumped by retreating to the mall and devising increasingly chaotic plans to win back their girlfriends.
Films like Mallrats, and why
Clerks
shares irreverent buddy comedy, pop-culture humor, profane dialogue, and Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse sensibility
Chasing Amy
shares romantic comedy structure, immature male protagonists, comic-book culture, and sarcastic dialogue
Encino Man
shares mall-based youth comedy, romantic misadventures, broad physical humor, and 1990s pop-culture nostalgia
Dazed and Confused
shares slacker protagonists, buddy-film chemistry, absurd humor, and a chaotic quest to repair romantic relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Kevin Smith
- Release Date
- 1995-10-20
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1448)
Cast
- Jason Lee
- Jeremy London
- Shannen Doherty
- Claire Forlani
- Ben Affleck
- Joey Lauren Adams
- Renée Humphrey
- Kevin Smith
- Jason Mewes
- Ethan Suplee
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mallrats about?
- Two dumped, pop-culture-obsessed slackers turn a suburban mall into the arena for a profane and chaotic attempt to reclaim their relationships.
- What is Mallrats like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mallrats as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Mallrats violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Mallrats as mild.
- What did critics think of Mallrats?
- Critics generally found the broad, profane mall comedy an uneven and less effective follow-up to Clerks, though it expands Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse with colorful characters and pop-culture energy.
- Which films are like Mallrats?
- Films with a similar feel include Clerks, Chasing Amy, Encino Man, and Dazed and Confused.
- How long is Mallrats?
- Mallrats runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mallrats?
- In United States, Mallrats is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
