An abortion clinic worker is sent on a holy crusade to stop two
​renegade angels from reentering Heaven and erasing all of existence.

COMEDY/FANTASY

Dogma (1999)

Written and Directed by Kevin Smith

Starring Linda Fiorentino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon,
Chris Rock, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Salma Hayek,
​Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, George Carlin, Alanis Morissette

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Connor Eyzaguirre

March 16, 2020

8/10

Dogma is a brilliant idea, and Kevin Smith brings his A-game to make it a reality. It's easily one of the most polarizing and controversial films of the 90's, but only if you don't watch it objectively. Ultimately, it's a movie about faith and what it means to us as individuals. The film argues that religion is a fallible concept because it was conceived by man, and that nobody on Earth has any real clue about God's plan. Plus, we get to see Alan Rickman as a bitchy angel, Chris Rock as the secret 13th apostle Rufus, and Jay and Silent Bob are now prophets of the Lord. It's hard not to see why this didn't piss off every Catholic who even heard about this movie.

When disgraced angels Loki (Damon) and Bartleby (Affleck) learn about a loophole in New Jersey that will allow them to get back into Heaven scot-free, it's up to an abortion clinic worker with a crisis of faith to stop them. Smith couldn't made this film any more upsetting to die-hard Christians if he'd tried to, and I love how hard he tried to. Bethany (Fiorentino) is joined by Rufus, Jay, and Silent Bob as they try to find a way to thwart the villainous angels. Along the way, Bethany learns the true story behind the Bible and what God really thinks about humanity. Behind the barrage of laughs is a great deal of drama and heart, something that Kevin Smith is surprisingly good at.

If you can laugh at yourself and don't take your denomination too seriously, there's a good chance you'd enjoy Dogma. It's by far the most ambitious of Smith's films, and the combined star power of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck playing psychotic angels really helps sell it. I mean, this is fresh off Good Will Hunting. I think this film gets lost due to its controversial subject matter and blatant disregard of any fucks. It's a good movie, and that's what matters most.