Clerks is now streaming on Pluto.
A new month means streaming platforms have added new movies for fans to watch and for fans of filmmaker Kevin Smith, they can now stream his film with the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating for free. Clerks is now streaming on Pluto. The film was technically added to the free streaming platform back in September, but with the weather getting cooler, October is just a great time to settle in for good movie — and Clerks certainly fits the bill.
Released in 1994, Clerks is Smith’s feature directorial debut. The film, which was also written by Smith who also produce the film along with Scott Mosier, starred Smith along with Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer, Jason Mewes, and Mosier. The black and white film followed a day in the lives of two convenience and video store clerks, Dante Hicks (O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Anderson) along with their various acquaintances as they deal with a variety of personal and professional issues over the course of the day, made even more interesting (and hilarious) as it takes place on Dante’s day off, though he’s called in to cover another employee’s shift — and Dante reminds everyone throughout he’s “not even supposed to be here today”.
The film is the first in Smith’s View Askewniverse films and also serves to introduce a number of characters that go on to be recurring characters in future films, most notably Jay and Silent Bob, portrayed by Mewes and Smith respectively. The film, which was shot for just over $25,000, ended up being a surprise hit, bringing in over $4 million at the box office. The film was also well received by both fans and critics which resulted in its current 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film went on to get two sequels — 2006’s Clerks II and 2022’s Clerks III which both currently have 63 percent ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
When it comes to the lasting legacy of Clerks, in addition to the film kicking off the View Askewniverse, the film also spawned a number of related projects, including Clerks: The TV Show, Clerks: The Animated Series, Clerks: The Comics, and Shooting Clerks, a 2021 comedy-drama about the making of Clerks directed by Christopher Downie that starred several members of the Clerks cast, including Smith. Clerks has also gone on to have cultural significance as well, with the film landing on several “best of” lists, including Empire’s 2008 “500 Greatest Movies of All-Time” list where it landed at 361. In 2019, the film was among 25 chosen to be added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
As for Smith, his most recent film, The 4:30 Movie, opened in theaters last month. The film, set in 1986, is a semi-autobiographical movie centered on Smith’s own experiences as a teenager.
Clerks is now streaming on Pluto.
