History Film / RedState

* Expy: Subverted. Initially, it seems like the Five Points Church is an Expy for the Westboro Baptist Church, but close to the end of the movie, the actual WBC is mentioned, as a way of emphasizing exactly how dangerous Five Points is.

* TheHeretic: How actual RealLife Christians view the hate-spewing Coopers and the Westboro Baptist Church on which the Coopers are based.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed:
** Abin Cooper and his Five Points Church for real-life fundamentalist nutbar Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptists. Keenan even explains the difference (referring to the litigious Phelps clan as "suers, not doers"). So don't worry, it's not the ''actual'' WBC getting shot up.
** The cult compound, violence, and the actions of the ATF are similar to David Koresh and the Branch Dividian Compound tragedy from the early 90's.

* ReligionOfEvil: The Five Points Trinity Church, an obvious {{Expy}} of the universally-reviled hate-group that calls themselves the "Westboro Baptist Church".

* CorruptChurch: The Five Points Trinity Church, of course, as an {{Expy}} of the infamous "Westboro Baptist Church" hate-group.

** Abin Cooper and his Five Points Church for real-life fundamentalist nutbar Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptists. Keenan even explains the difference (referring to the litigious Phelps clan as "suers, not doers"). [[SarcasmMode So don't worry]], it's not the ''actual'' WBC getting shot up.

* NonIndicativeName: Despite the title and the AK-47 on the poster, the closest this film comes to depicting anything relating to [[DirtyCommies communism]] is [[spoiler: a nearby pot-growing commune run by college kids]].
** The name may be intended to evoke [[StrawmanPolitical Republicans]], being that heavily Republican states are often called "red states"... which doesn't take into account that Fred Phelps is a registered Democrat.

** The name may be intended to evoke [[StrawmanPoliticals Republicans]], being that heavily Republican states are often called "red states"... which doesn't take into account that Fred Phelps is a registered Democrat.

NonIndicativeName: Despite the title and the AK-47 on the poster, the closest this film comes to depicting anything relating to [[DirtyCommies communism]] is [[spoiler: a nearby pot-growing commune run by college kids]].

* CrazyPrepared: The Five Points Trinity Church is this to an extent. After some people set off an IED in their yard, they build a wall around their church AKA, "The Great Wall of Bullshit", set up security cameras on their property as well as a electric locking gate (although, it is waist high) and stock up on high-powered guns which they have modified to be automatic. Also, they [[MurderArsonAndJaywalking don't allow anybody but family members in their church.]]

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: Goes with the GenreShift, obviously. The first half of the movie is about Travis, Jared and Billy Ray trying to flee from the Coopers' compound. Then [[spoiler: Travis gets shot by the Sheriff. The second half of the movie is about Agent Keenan's team and the Coopers firing at each other, with Jared and Cheyenne caught in the middle ]].

* ReligionOfEvil: The Five Points Trinity Church.

* SinisterMinister: Abin Cooper, who also has a [[BeardOfEvil Beard of Evil]].

* ElegantWeaponForAMoreCivilizedAge: While everyone else in the Five Points Trinity Church uses some kind of modern assault rifle, Abin Cooper (who's clearly older than almost every other member) sticks with a nice bolt action hunting rifle.

** Abin Cooper and his Five Points Church for real-life fundamentalist nutbar Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptists. Keenan even explains the difference (referring to the litigious Phelps clan as "suers, not doers"). [[SarcasmMode So don't worry, it's not the ''actual'' WBC getting shot up.]]

** Abin Cooper and his Five Points Church for real-life fundamentalist nutbar Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptists. Keenan even explains the difference (referring to the litigious Phelps clan as "suers, not doers").

* DawsonCasting: Travis, Jared, Billy Ray and Cheyenne are all teenagers, however, they're all played by people in their mid-twenties.

* DeathByCameo: [[spoiler:Arguably Kevin Pollak's and [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Marc Blucas]]' characters. They're around for a few moments before brutally dispatched.]]

* VillainProtagonist: Abin could be considered to be the protagonist.

* RealLifeRelative: Jennifer Schwalbach Smith turns in her usual appearance in her husband's film. Also, Michael Parks and James Parks: father and son in real life and in the film.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** KevinSmith wrote the part of Abin Cooper with GeorgeCarlin in mind; unfortunately George suffered ActorExistenceFailure before such could come to pass.
** Also, Smith also wanted to the original ending to follow through with the Biblical prophecies. In the original ending, everyone dies and while they're dying, the ground shakes and splits open. Keenan manages to survive his injury just long enough to see a giant Angel with a sword fly away, followed by the Four Housemen to the Apocalypse to descend from the clouds.

* AffablyEvil - Abin Cooper is a kindly patriarch and preacher when he's not murdering sodomites and other sinners. His grandfatherly personality makes him all the more sinister.
* AnyoneCanDie - [[spoiler: All three of the initial protagonists, and sympathetic Cooper daughter Cheyenne.]]
* {{Blackmail}} - Abin Cooper tells the closeted gay sheriff not to send any backup or he'll send certain unwholesome pictures to his wife. He ends up [[TakeAThirdOption taking a third option]] by calling in the ATF.

* BulletHolesAndRevelations - Happens between [[spoiler: Sarah and her daughter Cheyenne. Sarah loses.]]

* DeadpanSnarker - Kevin Pollak's ATF Agent Brooks.

* DecoyProtagonist-[[spoiler: We barely find out anything about Billy Ray, Travis and Jarod except that they would do have sex even with unknown women. The real protagonist turns out to be Joseph Keenan or Abin Cooper]].

* GenreShift: This movie has it in spades. It goes from a raunchy comedy, to a Hostel-status thriller, to a hostage/siege-type movie with a bit of action/shoot-em-up thrown in.

* IdiotBall - When the deputy hears the shots fired from inside the church, he makes no effort to take cover while calling in back-up, despite having plenty of time to do so.

* OnlyAFleshWound - [[spoiler: Keenan (John Goodman)]] has some shrapnel skull fragmets tear into his thigh, but it doesn't give him more than the faintest limp.

* PoliceBrutality - The ATF decides to cover up the Sheriff's accidental shooting by ''killing everyone in the house.''
* RealLifeRelative - Jennifer Schwalbach Smith turns in her usual appearance in her husband's film. Also, Michael Parks and James Parks: father and son in real life and in the film.

* ReligiousHorror - The Five Points church members are partly inspired by Fred Phelps and his flock, though they go him one better and [[spoiler:lure "sinners" over the internet and kill them]].
* RippedFromTheHeadlines - Abin Cooper is sort of a mix of Fred Phelps and David Koresh; the climax explicitly recalls the Waco siege at the Branch Davidian compound.
* SinisterMinister - Abin Cooper, who also has a [[BeardOfEvil Beard of Evil]].

* VillainProtagonist - Abin could be considered to be the protagonist.

->"''Fear God? You better believe I fear God.''"
-->--'''Abin Cooper'''

Writer/director KevinSmith's first foray into {{horror}}. After the disappointment of his last big studio film ''CopOut'', Smith decided to finally shoot the script he had written years ago during the shooting of ''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno'' for the smallest budget he's had since ''ChasingAmy''. Stars [[HeyItsThatGuy a few familiar faces]] and features a few more heavy weight issues than Smith's previous work.

* DeathByCameo: [[spoiler:Arguably Kevin Pollak's and [[{{Buffy}} Marc Blucas]]' characters. They're around for a few moments before brutally dispatched.]]