Red Rocket – Film Review

Finding himself down and out in Los Angeles, ex-porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) decides to crawl back to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, where his estranged wife and mother-in-law are living. Just as this dysfunctional family seems to be making things work, Mikey meets a young woman named Strawberry (Suzanna Son) working the cash register at a local doughnut shop.

I must confess right out of the gate that I’m not a big fan of Sean Baker‘s work. In the months leading up to The Florida Project‘s wide release, all I was hearing was just how much of a masterpiece it was, only for me to eventually watch it and hate it. To this day I genuinely have no idea how it got so much praise but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to give Baker more chances. After all, one bad film should never define your career.

But as curious as I was about his new film Red Rocket, I still wanted to go in completely cold and with an open mind. I didn’t expect anything here. I just turned it on and hoped for the best. And, wouldn’t you know it? Red Rocket surprised me a lot, because it’s a genuinely great film and one that takes you on one hell of a rollercoaster ride. By the time the film’s end credits appear, you’ll feel like you just witnessed one of the strangest and most unbelievable cinematic stories of the year.

It’s all about the life and many failures of ex-porn star Mikey Saber. When you take a look at him, he honestly looks like a nice guy with his stuff together. He has a big, charming smile, has manners (when necessary), and is more than willing to lend a helping hand if somebody needs it. But once you see how his life really is underneath that fake persona, you see just how much of a loser he really is.

He is desperate for money and will do almost anything to get it. He yearns for a girl he just met at a donut store in town. He gets into arguments with his estranged wife every single day. But what’s remarkable is that, although he’s undoubtedly a washed-up loser, you still root for him mainly because he has his heart in the right place. He honestly does try to become a better person, and that’s what makes Red Rocket so endearing.

With Baker’s last film – the aforementioned Florida Project – I simply didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters. And why was Willem Dafoe in the film for such a little amount of time? Neverthless, Red Rocket does a heck of a fine job making you feel like you personally know Mikey by the end of the story. Whether you like him or not is up to you.

Speaking of Mikey, Simon Rex delivers an incredibly hilarious and nuanced performance here, and one that, in my opinion, definitely deserves some awards attention. The same thing can be said about Suzanna Son who shines brightly whenever she is on screen. And don’t even get me started on the staggering cinematography by Drew Daniels.

Red Rocket is not a masterpiece and it’s not going to be a game-changer. It feels way too long at two-hours and ten minutes and it often feels like it lacks a more emotional gut-punch, but at the end of the day, Baker delivers a film that takes you on a journey of hilarity and compassion.