Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) is a washed up porn star who returns home to his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) in Texas begging for somewhere to stay for a few nights so that he can get back on his feet. Soon he has wrangled his way back into her life and those around her as he tries to find his way back to what he wants the most, to show everyone that he is better than them.

When we meet Mikey he is down and out, bruised from an unseen ass-kicking and on a cross country bus to his home town. We build a rapport for him as his fast talking charisma gets him back into his wife and mother in law’s (Brenda Deiss) home and he is turned down for every entry level job going because of the seventeen year “gap” in his resume. It seems as though he is looking for redemption and we start to root for him and his rehabilitation into the “normal” world. And then slowly the film makers reveal who he truly is, which is a narcissistic liar who is a borderline pimp who will groom young women for his own benefits whilst selling out everyone he knows to get what he wants. The fact that the film is set to the backdrop of the 2016 presidential election run and has Donald Trump on the campaign trail in background news broadcasts gives some suggestion to what parallels the film makers are trying to draw with our protagonist’s personality.

When Mikey meets seventeen year old Strawberry (Suzanna Son) working behind the counter of the local Doughnut store you can see his mind racing with possibilities. A young nubile girl, suggestive to his ideas and pliable to his charms. Could this be his ticket? Or can she change him? But then again this is a man who gets offended at the idea that the female star of his ‘Best Oral Scene’ awards did more work than him!

The peculiar view of Mikey cycling a children’s bike around town is a striking recurring image in the film which is shot on 16mm anamorphic film. The sun is always shining and the streets always seem deserted. The result is rather fantastic to look at, especially when we see some of the peculiar (to my eyes at least) Texan homes. The bike is quite integral to the plot as well as it means that Mikey decides to inveigle his new neighbour (Ethan Darbone) into driving him around everywhere which will result in a pivotal moment in Mikey’s master plan (if you could call it that).

Red Rocket is a striking film filled with fantastic performances from little known or non professional actors. Simon Rex has previously been a rapper under the name ‘Dirt Nasty’, a VJ, a solo porn performer and has appeared in a couple of Scary Movie sequels. Here he is revelatory and delivers a truly brilliant performance. Suzanna Son was someone that director Sean Baker saw in the lobby of a film screening at the Arclight Theater and he asked to audition for him and this is her first feature film. Again though she is stunning as a young girl who may or may not be in control of her relationship with Mikey.

Red Rocket is dark, sometimes funny and gripping.