Why do we watch movies about bad people? It’s a question that’s tumbled over many a critic and viewers' minds for years. Because there’s always merit in any story being told. Sometimes there are stories that try to glorify a bad person, and we can learn from the mistakes of the film or it’s hubris. Sometimes a film tries to showcase just how pathetic someone is and we can either revel in their failures or shake our heads in pity.
Sean Baker’s (“The Florida Project,” “Tangerine”) latest film, “Red Rocket,” absolutely wants us to pity its main character. Sure, sometimes things happen that are out of his control, but at no point does it ever seem like he tries to better his own situation. Most people will likely be turned off by the film because of this, but for those willing to dive head first in there lies an absorbing and mystifying character study lead by two performers at the top of their game.
That terrible person referred to previously is Mikey Saber, played by Simon Rex (“Jack & Jill (1999),” “What I Like About You (2002)”), a former porn star who has run back to his hometown and to his ex-technically-still-married-to-him wife Lexi, played by Bree Elrod. While attempting to manipulate those around him to regain a financial foothold, he meets Raylee, who goes by the name Strawberry, played by Suzanna Son, a 17 year old high school senior who he begins dating and attempting to convince to come back to California with him and pursue a career in the adult entertainment industry.
Up front it's clear that Mikey is a terrible person. He’s manipulative, a sycophant through and through, the poster child for what many would refer to as a “suitcase pimp.” For those unfamiliar, a “suitcase pimp” is someone in the adult entertainment industry who lives off of the success of the female talent. They don’t have their own home, for example, instead staying at the residences of the various female talent they know. Mikey is absolutely that kind of guy, plain and simple.
Yet, he also possesses a kind of crafty resourcefulness that makes him a magnetic character. There’s just enough charisma seeping through to make you want him to do better. Simon Rex is clearly giving his all in a performance as difficult as this and it shows. Despite everything going on, you want him to somehow turn out better by the time credits roll. You want him to actually be in love with Raylee, despite the clear moral wrongness of the situation, and not just use her for potential career gains.
While Rex’s performance is a showstopper, the emotional pull of the film is his relationship with Raylee, and it wouldn’t be nearly as effective without Suzanna Son. She is, simply, a star. Even for a first film role, she’s so clearly in command of her own screen presence and comedic timing, dramatic beats, and perfect moments to play to the camera and the other characters. If Rex delivers a performance with a darkness undercutting everything, Son is a bright shining beam of pure light, with just a twang of sourness.
Not just in characters, Baker and co-writer Chris Bergoch (“The Florida Project,” “Tangerine”) create a space and story that feels immediately apparent. Before even seeing a landmark or hearing the name of a town, the sense of place is stark and lived in. There’s a fantastic sense of setting throughout, with giant factories with constantly turned-on flood lamps contrasting against the flat emptiness of the Texas plains. It is such a fascinating location visually, and proves to be the perfect contrast to Mikey’s internal thoughts: not much going on long term, but the big light of ideas are always there.
It’s the kind of film that pulls emotionally so much that it teeters on becoming exhausting, but Baker and his crew are able to sell everything by the end. Even in the smaller moments, every character's beliefs and morals are communicated so perfectly. When Mikey says “When I have money, I’ll take care of you. I’ll even hold the door open for ya,” and then proceeds to hold the door open by walking through himself first and then awkwardly holding it open behind him, it tells you everything you need to know about him in one short moment.
“Red Rocket” is not for everyone, by any means. It sticks with the explicit nature of Baker’s previous films, as well as his focus on telling real stories about adult entertainment workers, but it lacks the sweetness of something like “Starlet,” the snark of “Tangerine,” or the innocence of “The Florida Project.” Instead, it replaces those with a character so fascinating in his pure idiocy that you can’t help but watch. You don’t want to pity him, but you know you will by the end as he fails spectacularly to improve his life. Rex sells the entire thing, and Son constantly steals the show out from under him even despite his excellence. Is it a film for everyone? No. But it's nevertheless a constantly fascinating film regardless. 4.5/5
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