Red Rocket (Sean Baker, 2021, USA)

Red Rocket, Sean Baker's follow-up to his breakout hit The Florida Project, largely came and went without much recognition upon its initial release. Though well-received by critics, the film was released mid-pandemic, when many independent films had a harder time breaking through theatrically, or (in most cases) were dropped straight to streaming services. Continuing the director's tradition of observing the American underclass, as well as sex workers, Rocket follows Mikey, a newly retired porn star, and his return to his hometown on Texas's gulf coast.

One of the reasons that Red Rocket likely didn't gain awards momentum is simply because it is a movie with an unpleasant protagonist doing unpleasant things. Additionally, the film's central narrative arc involves this protagonist grooming a teenager probably didn't help much to win audiences over. That being said, Red Rocket is a humorous and sensitive film with a charismatic protagonist. It should be noted that Baker has an incredible sense of place in Red Rocket - this is a film that feels truly lived in. In some instances, you can nearly smell the frame.

Red Rocket also takes some time to build narrative momentum. Like Baker's most recent film Anora, Rocket clocks in at more than 2 hours. While some might argue that a film like this is too slight to deserve more than 2 hours, the character observations and gradual implosion of Mikey and his ambitions warrant the running time. Red Rocket recalls the 90s when filmmakers didn't have qualms about making films with despicable protagonists or leading characters (ex: Larry Clark's Kids, Todd Solondz's Happiness). It is no surprise that Anora, a similar film with a much more likable leading character, was able to break out in the way it did. Red Rocket was something of a test run for that film.

7/10