Red Rocket

Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) looks back on a respectable career as a porn actor. But the good times are long gone and completely washed up and burnt out Mikey returns to his Texas hometown. Lexi doesn't like the fact that he wants to stay with his still-wife Lexi (Suzanne Son) and her mother. But Mikey makes an effort to find a job and bring money home. When that doesn't work out the regular way, Mikey sells weed - and is extraordinarily successful at it. When he goes to the local donut store to celebrate, he meets 17-year-old Strawberry (Bree Elrod). He is quickly captivated by the girl's disarming manner and begins an affair with her - but not without ulterior motives. For Mikey sees Strawberry as his last big chance to regain a foothold in the porn industry and tie in with old successes...

The films of Sean Baker always have a very unique character. This is as true of his multi-award-winning drama "Tangerine L.A." as it is of the Oscar-nominated "Florida Project". His latest feature film "Red Rocket", a mixture of comedy and drama, also bears Baker's signature quite clearly. In addition to Simon Rex, who is particularly well-known in this country from the "Scary Movie" films, the filmmaker has cast his film with unused faces and lain actors. On the one hand, this lends the film a certain authenticity, which is underscored by the unadorned images of poverty-stricken small-town life in the run-down working-class town.

On the other hand, the staging may seem a bit unwieldy to some viewers. No question: in its very special way "Red Rocket" is very entertaining and in places even really funny. But relaxed cinema entertainment simply looks different. The characters are all not exactly likeable - even if Rex has an undeniable charisma - and the whole look is extremely dominated by dirt and bleakness. And when the story almost completely abandons humor after a tragic accident - apart from the textile-free finale, perhaps - the whole thing hits the stomach rather than the diaphragm.

Personally, I had some problems with the film, but in the process I have to give it credit for a truly fascinating character. "Red Rocket" is something all its own, far from the mainstream. Those who like Baker's earlier works will also be able to recognize a certain genius here. The fact that the film polarizes and does not only cause storms of enthusiasm, may have been exactly what Baker wanted to achieve: to be non-conformist and also sometimes uncomfortable. And exactly for it there is then also - with the already mentioned reservations - a deserved: worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp