RED STATE **

" "Red State" may not have been the film we might have expected from Kevin Smith, certainly in terms of plot, (the crude language and sexuality are typical, however), but this thriller about an extreme right-wing religious cult is still pretty chilling even if you do think the three randy teenagers at the centre might deserve all they get. At its core is a magnificent performance from Michael Parks as the very demented head of his own church whose idea of punishing sinners is anything but Christian. Among his followers is Melissa Leo and between them they should put the fear of God into you, while on the side of law and order we have a terrific John Goodman. If we aren't quite into "Hostel"  territory here this is still pretty disturbing, perhaps because it feels like it could actually happen (and to a degree it already has; we are in Waco, Texas territory here). It does go a bit off the rails at the end but even so this is still one of the better horror thrillers of the past few years.