After an absence of 17 years, a drug addict, grifter, and porn star returns to his small hometown in Texas – he’s looking for redemption and a job. It does not go too well.
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Billed as a comedy-drama, this is one gritty and quirky film. The characters are really quite strange – I find I kind of liked them while finding them repellant as well. None of them are fully what they present to others and there’s an undercurrent of selfishness and yet vulnerability in them all. Not the type of people you’d necessarily want as neighbours.
The cast is really good and very believable, especially Simon Rex as Mikey. I found my concentration wandering a lot though, and it’s probably 30 minutes too long, but overall I was fascinated at this look at small-town down and out America.
Red Rocket is the kind of film that will leave you with questions about morality, as well as notions of opportunity and exploitation in the so-called ‘land of opportunity.’
So how did I score it?
Acting 7/10
Story/Script 7/10
Cinematography 7/10
Set/Costumes 7/10
Entertainment 7/10
That gives Red Rocket an average of
Average 7 / 10
RED ROCKET
Starring: Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son
Directed by: Sean Baker
Duration: 128 minutes
In New Zealand Cinemas 10th February 2022