RED ROCKET

Red Rocket has an intriguing premise and during long stretches of the film you are definitely swept up in the hopes and dreams of the main characters, but ultimately the picture plays it too safe.

In his third feature film director Sean Baker once again puts the lofty dreams of someone who is down on his luck front and centre as Simon Rex portrays a former porn actor who bunks up with his estranged wife and then runs into a girl at the donut store for whom he foresees a big future in adult entertainment.

It's an intriguing premise for Red Rocket and during long stretches of the film you are definitely swept up in the hopes and dreams of the main characters. But while Tangerine had the surprise factor going for it and The Florida Project was blessed with superbly understated performances, Red Rocket plays things relatively safe.

From very early on you know the direction the film is heading into and many scenes rely solely on a good but at times one-time performance by Simon Rex to keep you invested.

In fact, once the film throws an out-of-nowhere plot element in there to kickstart the third act the picture's tendency to force the drama rather than have it unfold naturally becomes a real hindrance towards your enjoyment, right up to the cop-out final scene.

release: 2021

director: Sean Baker

starring: Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son