Rating of
3.5/4
A Star is Porn
Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/01/24
Sean Baker knocks this one out of the park as an unemployed porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) returns to a dingy Texas City to shack up with a none-too-pleased ex-girlfriend (and also former porn star) Lexi (Bree Elrod) and her feisty mother, Lil (Brenda Deiss). Unable to find a decent job, he reaches out to an old friend and goes back to selling weed and a chance stop at a local donut shop turns him on to a 17-year-old nick-named Strawberry (an impressive debut from Suzanna Son) and he sees an opportunity to return to his porn stardom - by essentially corrupting the brash but naive girl into joining the same industry.
Rex (playing a hopefully not quite as nasty version of himself) is a most charming individual - even though you should hate his guts. Whether casually riding around on his bike, dutifully mowing the lawn or bonding with the pet dog - he often just seems like a chill and fun dude. But then he's also slinging weed to low-income factory workers, sleeping with a 17-year-old, not willing to help his girlfriend get her (their?) son back for CPS and generally being a lazy guy and crappy friend. The film builds up a rapport with his neighbor, Lonnie (Ethan Darbone) - going to strip clubs and the like - but a major event late in the film tests just how far this "friendship" will go, providing some truly tense moments.
Likewise, Son comes across as a girl who thinks she knows what she wants - but is too insulated to realized how she is being manipulated. You just want to reach out and slap some sense into her even as she takes things further and further with Rex. The film leaves the ending somewhat open - and in my mind I would hope that Rex never gets his way, but in the world of this film, I truly don't know where the road would lead.
Baker is known for casting his film with mostly unknown and actually local people and Red Rocket is filled to the brim with unique and great turns you just wouldn't get otherwise. This was a reason I also through The Florida Project was such an effective film - and Red Rocket improves upon that formula. A pleasant surprise and one I wholly recommend, even if leaves you feeling a bit conflicted.
