One of the most interesting aspects of Sean Baker's filmmaking is his ability to realize his unique vision under circumstances other, less-assured filmmakers would consider disadvantages. Baker (Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project) routinely embraces creative choices that others would never entertain, let alone integrate into their visual style and filmmaking approach. From working with emerging actors (or non-actors entirely) to filming on location in a verité style (Tangerine was filmed entirely on iPhones), Baker's films always include a sense of visceral realness that set them apart. In Red Rocket, Baker's latest film starring Simon Rex in a turn that's both engrossing and slightly off-putting, the filmmaker's style and all his trademark decisions are on full display. The result, while perhaps not as poignant as the Oscar-nominated The Florida Project, is nevertheless something more than watchable, a modern exploration of hustle culture and opportunism.
Image courtesy of A24.
Rex is Mikey, a fast-talking charmer who's made a name for himself as an adult film star in Los Angeles. But he's down on his luck, out of work and back in his Texas hometown, where his first stop is his wife's house. That's right, Mikey's been away for years, f*cking other women on camera, but he's got a wife, Lexi (Bree Elrod), back home who still lives with her mother, Lil (Brenda Deiss). It takes a bit of convincing, but Lexi finally lets Mikey back into the house (and eventually her bed) while he figures out a way to earn a living now that his entertainment career is over. Once he convinces Leondria (Judy Hill), the local pot dealer, to give him some inventory for resale, he enlists his unemployed next-door neighbor, Lonnie (Ethan Darbone), to drive him around to the town's various strip clubs to make his sales. It's a living.
In his search for new clients, Mikey ends up at a donut shop outside a power plant where all the union workers stop on their breaks. Thinking he'll make a killing with them, he gets more than he bargained for when he meets Strawberry (Suzanna Son), the sweet young clerk who rings him up. She's 17, with big, innocent eyes and a trusting demeanor that Mikey is immediately drawn to. And here is where things get interesting, because Mikey's interest is genuine. It's also slightly creepy and predatory. Mikey never does anything overtly objectionable to Strawberry, and she is as invested in their relationship, which does become sexual, as he is. But Mikey's always on the lookout for an angle, and soon he's thinking about what a pretty young thing like Strawberry could make happen in his former industry and scheming for ways to convince her to move back to LA with him.
As the central character of Red Rocket, Mikey is never entirely endearing nor is he anything close to a villain. He's that odd duck not seen often enough in films, a complex human being with flaws and needs, someone with motivations that, though they maybe aren't always honorable, aren't illegal or immoral by any means. His ambition gets him into some interesting situations, from confronting Strawberry's teenage boyfriend (and the family that steps up to defend him) to engaging in unexpectedly deep conversations with Leondria's partner, June (Brittney Rodriguez). But he's a man who knows how to get what he wants, and he's not afraid to charm or cajole to get it. In fact, at this point, all his charming and cajoling is basically second nature to him, his standard operating procedure for scheming his way through life. Rex strikes this balance perfectly, able to be whatever it is the situation calls for—a flirt with Strawberry, a frustrated husband being held back by Lexi, a businessman with a vision with Lonnie.
In true Baker fashion, the non-actors surrounding Rex only elevate the proceedings, from Lil's natural comedic timing to Leondria's no-nonsense delivery. Suzanna Son more than holds her own next to Rex, embodying that peculiar moment in a young woman's life when she's no longer a child, not quite a grown woman, yet nevertheless fully capable of commanding a man's attention. Filmed in the heat of summer on location in Texas, Baker takes advantage of the wide open skies and sprawling landscapes, infusing the film with bold, bright colors that pop off the screen. Though the script (co-written by Chris Bergoch) loses a bit of its momentum in the film's final 20 minutes, there's enough here between Rex's strong performance and Baker's always compelling filmmaking to make Red Rocket an enjoyable ride.
Red Rocket is now playing in select theaters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfndmy-6e28
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