50
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91ColliderRoss BonaimeColliderRoss BonaimeIn Clerks III, Smith returns to where his career began and has made one of his best films in decades, a tender and compassionate look at friendships that last no matter what, a remembrance of where Smith came from, and an appreciation for all those who helped him along the way.
- 79TheWrapWilliam BibbianiTheWrapWilliam BibbianiClerks III is serious to a minor fault and breezy to a minor fault. It’s got all the same laid-back, chill vibes cinema that Smith is well-known for, and the same immature approach to genuine maturity that he’s also known for, with a new sense of emotional severity that makes it harder to laugh than it probably should be.
- 70VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerIs this all wildly self-indulgent? A bit. Does it feel like the product of a filmmaker with plenty of fresh ideas? Not really. Has Smith lost his fastball as a writer? You could certainly make that case, and the screenplay’s attempts to recapture some of the rapid-fire pop culture references and x-rated musings of the director’s heyday often land painfully wide of the mark. But there’s something strangely poignant about it all the same.
- 67IndieWireChristian ZilkoIndieWireChristian ZilkoHis new sequel contains as much blatant fan service as you might expect, and some of it is probably even worse than what you’re imagining, but the film eventually finds its footing by making (and committing to) some legitimately bold choices.
- 60EmpireBen TravisEmpireBen TravisIt’s comedically uneven and overly distracted by side-characters, but when Clerks III gets to the heart of Dante and Randal’s decades-long friendship it’s enough to assure you that Kevin Smith is still open for business.
- 40The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyThree words characterize the first third or so of the picture: not funny enough.
- 40Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerAustin ChronicleRichard WhittakerSmith is still a long way from being a great filmmaker, but he's an earnest one. And Clerks III, flawed as it is, is his heartfelt farewell to the Quick Stop.
- 25Slant MagazineJake ColeSlant MagazineJake ColeKevin Smith toys with death in Clerks III as a shortcut to bring emotion to a film that otherwise has no meaningful hook.
- 25San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleThe banter, often Smith’s strong suit, is witless and tiresome, mostly obsessive conversations about minor characters in “Star Wars” and other aspects of pop culture. It’s probably not Smith’s intention, but we end up feeling sorry for the characters, that they inhabit such a tiny mental landscape.