Set in 2016 in Texas, the film revolves around a washed-up porn actor who returns to Texas City trying to make some money in the hope of returning to Los Angeles where he meets a 17-year-old donut shop cashier whom he falls for and hopes to make her into a porn actress. It is a film that is largely a character study of a man who had burned many bridges with the porn industry in Los Angeles as he returns to his hometown for the first time in 17 years where he asks his estranged wife if he could stay at his home for a few days till he gets back on his feet. Still, he would take advantage of her hospitality as she was reluctant to let him crash at her house knowing about his own selfish habits. The film’s screenplay by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch is mainly a character study of this washed-up porn star in Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) who returns to Texas City as he would take up a job selling weed for an elderly drug dealer in Leondria (Judy Hill) though she and her adult daughter June (Brittney Rodriguez) do not trust him while they warn him to not sell any weed to the local hardhat mill workers.
The script plays into Saber as someone who is really his own worst enemy in not just hurting those who offer his help but also in not taking responsibility for his own actions. Throughout the script, he talks about a bunch of things as there is a lot of ambiguity into whether he is telling the truth or talking bullshit as he would befriend his neighbor Lonnie (Ethan Darbone) who idolized Saber only to end up in things that put him in trouble. In meeting the young donut cashier Raylee who calls herself Strawberry (Suzanna Son), he believes he has a chance to get back into the world of pornography as she they embark on a sexual relationship even though she is barely underaged. Saber’s time with Strawberry would create tension as his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss) become suspicious of his activities outside of the house as they know Leondria who is also becoming suspicious despite the money that Saber has been giving her. It would play into this sense of Saber not only overstaying his welcome but also getting caught up in his own bullshit where those around him realize what they must do.
Baker’s direction is stylish as it is shot in Texas City as well as areas at Galveston including its Island Historic Pleasure Pier, Nederland, and Kemah Boardwalk. Shot on 16mm film, Baker maintains a sense of grit and realism into the film as he shoots everything on location where it set in a small town in Texas where it is working class with a plant nearby where many of the local hard-hat workers are. Baker’s usage of wide and medium shots do play into this sense of a man who returns to his hometown where he does feel out of step with the times where some things had not changed since he left. Even as the home that Lexi and Lil live in is shambolic with a truck with no wheels and a home that does not have much but they are at least content despite a few financial struggles. Baker would use some hand-held cameras for some scenes while he would keep things steady as it plays into a man trying to get back into the world of pornography as there are a couple of scenes where Saber goes to a strip club. Baker’s usage of close-ups and zoom shots are a key aspect of the film as it play into Saber’s desire towards Strawberry as well as scenes where he has sex with Lexi to satisfy her sexual needs.
Also serving as the film’s editor where he employs some stylish jump-cuts, montages, and other rhythmic cuts to play into the humor as well as some of the drama that includes scenes of Saber riding a bicycle as it is the only form of transportation he has aside from rides from Lonnie. Also working as a co-sound designer with John Warrin and sound editor Andy Hay, Baker maintains an atmosphere that is realistic in the way sound is heard from afar inside a living room or on a location that is quiet and sparse. It all plays into the air of realism that Baker wanted as well as a scene late in the third act where Saber’s own bullshit on the people he fucked over finally come to ahead in a darkly-comical moment where humility comes to play. Baker does end the film on an ambiguous note as it relates to Saber’s own comeuppance as well as him facing this idea of the need to be truthful and own up to his actions or to continue to bullshit and hurt people he meets. Overall, Baker crafts an evocative and compelling film about washed-up porn star’s return to Texas where he meets a 17-year-old girl he hopes he can mooch from towards his return to the porn industry.
Cinematographer Drew Daniels does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on vibrant colors for some of the daytime scenes that includes the house that Strawberry lives in as well as some unique low-key lighting schemes for the exterior/interior scenes at night as it plays into the grainy 16mm film stock. Production designer Stephonik does excellent work with the interior look of Lexi’s home as well as the truck with no wheels outside of her home as well as the exterior/interior of the house that Strawberry lives in. Visual effects supervisors John J. Budion, Vico Sharabani, and Robi Thomas Vazhayil do terrific work with the visual effects as it is set dressing for some locations that play into the period the film is set in. Music supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith does wonderful work with the music soundtrack as a lot of it is played on location through a mixture of music ranging from hip-hop, country, nu-metal, electronic music, and pop from such acts as Puddle of Mudd, the Crossing, Saul Consentino, Dave Tough, the Like Thes, Mason Dixon, 2am, Dixie Crystal, Electropoint, Spida4eva, and ‘Nsync whose song Bye Bye Bye is the lone song that is not played on location with the exception of a piano covered performed by Strawberry.
The film’s ensemble cast that is assembled by Baker includes a voice appearance from Karren Karagulian as a voice at a strip club, Lindsey Fuller as a news reporter whose house that Saber uses to claim that he lives there as a lie to Strawberry, Sophie as Lil and Lexi’s dog, Shih-Ching Tsou as the donut shop manager Mrs. Phan, David Maxwell as Lonnie’s dad, Parker Bigham as Strawberry’s friend Nash who thought she was his girlfriend, Dustin Hart and Brandy Kirl as Nash’s parents who confront Saber, Marlon Lambert as Leondria’s son Ernesto whom Saber used to go to school with, and Brittney Rodriguez in a superb performance as Leondria’s daughter June who is wary of Saber as she is the supplier and run things for her mother as she is someone that has little tolerance for bullshit. Ethan Darbone is fantastic as Lexi’s neighbor Lonnie as a man Lexi used to babysit as a kid where he spends time together with Saber unaware of the trouble, he is getting himself into where he becomes an unfortunate victim of Saber’s bullshit.
Judy Hill is excellent as Leondria as a local drug dealer/supplier who is suspicious of Saber knowing about his life back in Texas as she reluctantly gives him a job only to become more suspicious about the money he brings in. Brenda Deiss is brilliant in the role of Lexi’s mother Lil, who is initially willing to give Saber another chance, but she eventually becomes suspicious of him while also becoming uneasy with his presence at the house. Bree Elrod is amazing as Saber’s estranged wife Lexi who is reluctant to have him around while using him for sex and to do some things where she becomes suspicious of his activities outside of the house and frustrated by his refusal to help her with other things.
Suzanna Son is phenomenal in a break-out performance as Strawberry as a 17-year-old donut shop cashier who is fascinated by Saber as she is also interested in him sexually where she becomes someone that Saber needs to get back in the porn industry although she is unaware of how manipulative he is. Finally, there’s Simon Rex in a tremendous performance as Mikey Saber as a washed-up porn star who returns to Texas needing somewhere to crash only to take advantage of their hospitality while wooing a 17-year-old girl in the hopes he can get back to the porn industry. It is a performance where Rex brings a lot of dark elements of a man that constantly lies while also wanting to avoid responsibility to the point that people had enough where Rex highlight some humility and humor as it is a breakthrough for Rex.
Red Rocket is a spectacular film by Sean Baker that features great performances from Simon Rex and Suzanna Son. Along with its supporting cast, compelling character study, and gorgeous visuals. It is a film that goes to great lengths to explore a man who has burned many bridges only to put himself in more trouble with the people he meets to the point that he has no one to blame but himself. In the end, Red Rocket is a sensational film by Sean Baker.
Sean Baker Films: (Four Letter Words) – Take Out (2004 film) - (Prince of Broadway) – Starlet (2012 film) - Tangerine (2015 film) - The Florida Project - Anora
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