Refreshingly particular and twistedly funny – Sean Baker’s Red Rocket is ultimately a takedown of the American Dream and its seductiveness. The personal and grounded directing notwithstanding, the movie’s main highlight is its star, Simon Rex! Simon is a real force in the role of Mikey – a whirlwind of a human being with sleazy, yet oddly sweet, ambitions. He’s a survivor, a “hanger-on,” a naïve optimist with his mind in the gutter. In short, he’s an anti-hero like no other on the big screen. Should we really be rooting for this terrible person? It’s hard not to. And that goes right back to Rex’s infectious performance. But, as original of a character he is for cinema, this is definitely someone you likely know in real life! And while the story itself goes in some pretty outrageous directions; it all feels very much real. The entire “look and feel” is grounded – with a no frills approach to the camera techniques used. Those who know our director, know just how effective his personal storytelling can be. And like his past work, Red Rocket is yet another wonderful exploration of a particular type of person out there in the world!