'Red Rocket' is a comedy drama that follows Mikey - a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas home town as he tries to make his way forward even though no one really wants him there.
The film opens with Mikey on a bus as he drives to his home town from L.A. On arriving in in Texas City, Mikey makes his way to Lexi's house - his ex-wife's place that he manages to convince her and her mother, Lil, into crashing at. Thereafter Mikey tries to find a job, but due to his history as a porn star, no one wants to hire him. On top of that, he is also unable to collect his social security payments, as he has not been residing in the state for the minimum term required for the benefits to go through. Unable to secure a steady income, Mikey visits with Leondria, a local drug supplier, from who he gets marijuana and starts working for as a dealer.
Some time later Mikey takes Lexi and Lil to the 'Doughnut Hole' where he connects with Strawberry, a 17-year-old cashier at the shop. Over time, the two begin a relationship and Mikey plans on going back to California with Strawberry, believing she could be his way back in to the porn industry. Mikey also befriends Lonnie, Lexi's neighbour that she used to babysit. Mikey uses Lonnie to get around, as he does not have a car, and over time the two bond and share in their thoughts and views on the future. One day, as the two are driving back home from town, Mikey prompts Lonnie to take an exit off the highway which then causes a 22-car pile-up resulting in many casualties and Lonnie being convicted. Overzealous that Lonnie hadn't sold him out in saying that Mikey was with him, prompts Mikey to run to Strawberry and ask her to go to L.A. with him the following day.
On returning to Lexi's, Mikey talks to his ex-wife and informs her that he will be leaving in the morning. Angered by the news, Lexi asks for Leondria's daughter and sons to ambush Mikey during the evening, take the money he had saved up and effectively evict him from the house. During the night Mikey, left with nothing but a garbage bag full of his clothes, makes his way to Strawberry's house, and the film closes on him picturing her in the doorway, wearing a red bikini.
'Red Rocket' is a comedy drama that centres around Mikey, a dubious and unreliable individual that seems to make a mess of things no matter where he goes. The feature is a deep character exploration of a dodgy and unscrupulous individual who is focused on satisfying his most immediate impulses, often making the wrong choices with little foresight and resulting in catastrophic outcomes.
Through the course of the story we learn that Mikey has been moving around a lot, being either thrown out or evicted from multiple abodes, seemingly being the cause of all the expulsions. On the outset, Mikey tries to get in with Lexi, who is adamant about letting him stay with her. Only during the course of the story do we discover that the two used to be married and worked together in the adult film industry. Their past casts a shadow over their future however, as Lexi and Mikey re-start an intimate relationship, even though Mikey is also seeing Strawberry. Lexi does not get confirmation that Mikey is seeing someone else, but retaliates non the less, as Mikey abruptly informs her of his departure. Here, the film cements Mikey's past behaviour and clearly sets out the fact that the character has always gotten in his own way in terms of satisfying his impulses and giving little consideration for those around him affected by his choices. The film does well in illustrating the repercussions however, as we see Mikey run from Lexi's house to Leondria's buck naked, with literally nothing to his name, as he tries to weasel out of another bad situation he has put himself in.
Mikey's selfishness goes a step further when we are shown the moment immediately after Lonnie has caused the pile-up on the highway. Mikey pleads with Lonnie to forget he was with him and to deny any association with him. As the event unfolds and we watch Mikey follow the latest developments on TV, he gleefully dances in the back yard on discovering Lonnie hadn't mentioned him being there.
As Mikey's relationship with Strawberry develops, it is clear that he cares for her, however, over time Mikey's ultimate goal is revealed - to go back to L.A. and use Strawberry as his way back into the industry. As he slowly grooms the young woman, his motives and intentions become increasingly more difficult to reconcile, as initially the character had been introduced as someone down on his luck, yet is eventually revealed to be ruthless in his attempts to forge the best way forward only for himself. Similarly, this can be seen in his interactions with Lexi, as he initially sweet-talks his way into her home and then scheming his way into her bed. In the end however, the film is unwavering in showing the outcome of Mikey's actions, as he is depicted with having nothing left but the hope he has for Strawberry and how he can use her for his own benefit.
Simon Rex portrays Mikey, and the actor pulls out all the stops in showcasing a truly contemptible individual, as all of his actions are carried out to serve himself. Rex plays Mikey with a seeming proclivity towards leaning into the worst tendencies a guy down on his luck may exhibit and thereby delivers an immensely loathsome character, allowing for the audience to follow Mikey's story with a relentless sense of impending doom that eventually climaxes in the characters comeuppance, as he is once more thrown out and rejected by those around him.
The film is written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch, and directed by Baker. The collaboration has resulted in a poignant and at times comedic slice-of-life feature that examines the minutiae of its main character. By following Mikey's day-to-day activities, the creators deliver and slowly reveal the innermost thoughts and schemes that Mikey is planning for himself and eventually showcase the individuals inevitable and somewhat tragic demise.
'Red Rocket' delivers an insightful study of a complicated individual, whose true colours are revealed over the course of his stay in his small home town. The examination of Mikey's attempts at getting back to his old life, namely that of a working porn actor, illustrate the intricacies of his way of thinking, allowing the audience to uncover that it isn't just bad luck following him around, rather that he is the cause of the misery in his own life. With a southern American small-town backdrop, 'Red Rocket' surpasses expectations in showcasing the nature of life in a quiet town and the lives of the people within them.
Score: 3/4
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