Clerks III (2022)

Clerks III is special because it takes the slacker comedy that launched Kevin Smith’s career and lets it grow up without losing its scrappy, talky charm—like a reunion with old friends that unexpectedly turns heartfelt. The movie has the loose, hangout vibe you want from the Quick Stop crew, but it’s fueled by a real sense of time passing, of jokes hardening into memories, and of friendship becoming something you fight for. It’s funny in that familiar, profane Smith way, yet it keeps finding quiet moments of compassion that land because Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson play Dante and Randal with lived-in warmth. Fair warning: if you don’t have any affection for the earlier Clerks films (or you’re not in the mood for comedy that makes room for grief), it may not hit as hard—but for fans and the fence-sitters who like laughs with a pulse, it’s a surprisingly moving return.

Clerks III is Kevin Smith trying to close the loop on his scrappy convenience-store saga with a heartfelt, semi-meta tribute to friendship, aging, and making something before time runs out. When it works, the banter and chemistry between Jeff Anderson and Brian O’Halloran still have that lived-in charm, and there are a few genuinely warm moments for longtime fans. The problem is it leans so hard on callbacks and in-jokes that it can feel like a greatest-hits reel instead of a story, and the heavier grief-and-regret beats sometimes come off pushed rather than earned. If you’re not already emotionally invested in these characters (or you’re allergic to self-referential nostalgia), this one may feel rote, uneven, and more like fan service than a satisfying standalone comedy-drama.