#REVIEW: “RED ROCKET”

By Mr. Will Wong

Sean Baker who brought us mesmerizing The Florida Project back in 2017, is back with the even better Red Rocket. While Texas City is filled with small ambitions, this is some grand storytelling, carried by a larger-than-life performance by Simon Rex.

The story centers on a homeless Mikey (Rex) who returns to town, battered and bruised, hoping his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) will take him back in to live at her mother’s house. It doesn’t take long for us to understand the troubled history between Mikey and Lexi, while also getting a glimpse of their own pasts. Mikey is an Adult Film Star desperately looking for a way to reclaim the fame that’s brought him a purported 20 million views on a certain porn-streaming site. And he isn’t afraid to use others around him as pawns in his goal of getting back to California.

He meets the effervescent and ripening Strawberry (Suzanna Son) who works the counter at Donut Hole, charming his way to her heart. He sees potential in her becoming a next-generation porn star, who could propel his big comeback. He does this while convincing Lexi that he might be back for good, getting tangled-up in his latest destructive mess. We really wonder how exactly he will make it out of this brewing disaster before his cover gets blown.

Baker has a knack for taking lesser-known names and delivering what feels like an intimate fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the lives of real people who happen to make bad choices out of desperation. Once again, he brings us this juxtaposition of perceived happiness and chasing highs in bright pink and orange hues, set against what actually are some dire circumstances. And it works when we’re having fun along the way. Cinematographer Drew Daniels captures well the charms of this small city, our flawed hero and the beauty of having a dream.

We don’t know Rex well other than from the Scary Movie franchise, but he gives us a brazen, layered performance here as a hustler with the will to survive, no matter what it takes and who gets hurt along the way.  Where he shines most is where he relives Mikey‘s former AVN-winning glory and Baker lets these scenes breathe as he continues to riff. The Film thrives because of Rex‘s commitment to Mikey‘s belief in his own greatness and it is infectious and magical.

Red Rocket‘s other great revelation is a sensational performance from newcomer Son, who next can be seen in HBO‘s The Idol. She is simply captivating as Strawberry playing to the Lolita archetype and it is little wonder why Mikey is so obsessed with her, because we are too.  The Film takes us deep into the world of what life can be like for a struggling Sex Worker and we applaud Baker‘s courage to help us understand, even if the relationship between Strawberry and Mikey does touch upon some problematic gray areas. That being said, Red Rocket isn’t a Film we will soon stop thinking about and a Film we don’t regret seeing.

Mongrel Media release RED ROCKET in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver December 17, 2021 with additional cities to follow.

*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre*