Red Rocket: Movie Review
Red Rocket: Movie Review Cast: Simon Rex, Suzanna Son Director: Sean Baker Make no mistake about it, Red Rocket is a film about desperation. At its heart, is Simon Rex's Mikey, a washed up 50-something former porn star who’s headed back to his hometown in Texas for none-too-clear reasons. With nothing but the clothes on his back, and an ambition to weasel his way back into his former wife’s life, Mikey is the king of the hustle - despite heading to various job interviews on a borrowed push bike. He is in pursuit of the American dream - much like many of the protagonists of Sean Baker’s oeuvre. But things take a turn when Mikey discovers a nearly 18 year old girl named Strawberry (Son) working at a local donut shop and pushes to turn her life around, and sees in her his shot for redemption. Red Rocket, set as it is during Donald Trump’s presidential tilt, is a hangout movie that showcases the underbelly of the US, so keen to be galvanised and mobilised by Trump’s campaign- the belie...