Red Rocket (2021)
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A washed-up porn star returns to his small Texas hometown to attempt a comeback, only to find himself entangled in a complicated relationship with a local teenager.
The story
Washed-up and down-on-his-luck L.A. pornstar Mikey "Saber" Davies returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, for the first time in 17 years to start over. After a two-day bus ride and with $22 on him, he arrives at the modest home of his estranged wife and fellow ex-pornstar, Lexi, and her mother, Lil, begging them to let him stay. They reluctantly agree, but insist that he get a job and do household chores. Mikey faces challenges finding employment due to his past. Desperate, he begins a business arrangement to sell cannabis, while also becoming smitten with a 17-year-old girl who works at a local donut shop.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Mikey "Saber" Davies, a struggling former porn star, returns to his Texas hometown and stays with his estranged wife, Lexi, and her mother. While struggling to find work, he begins selling cannabis and enters a relationship with Raylee, a 17-year-old girl at a donut shop. He attempts to convince her to move to Los Angeles to start a career in pornography. During a trip with a local man named Lonnie, Mikey's boasting leads to a multi-vehicle collision; Lonnie takes the blame and is arrested. Using the accident as an excuse, Mikey convinces Raylee to quit her job and move with him. However, Lexi and Lil eventually seize the money Mikey made from drug sales. After being told by his former contact to leave town forever, a humiliated Mikey flees to Raylee's house, where he finds himself alone and exhausted.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean Baker
- Writers
- Sean Baker · writer; Chris Bergoch · writer
- Cast and characters
- Simon Rex · Mikey "Saber" Davies; Bree Elrod; Suzanna Son
- Genres
- black comedy; drama
- Themes
- identity; marginalized lives; moral ambiguity
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; pastoral
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; sex comedy
- Reception
- The film received praise for its direction and Rex's performance, though it sparked debate regarding the portrayal of a morally objectionable protagonist in the post-MeToo era.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 49
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actor · Los Angeles Film Critics Association · Win; Best Actor · Independent Spirit Awards · Win
- Production trivia
- Shot on 16mm film; Featured the song 'Bye Bye Bye' by NSYNC; Produced on a $1.1 million budget
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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