Overview
A washed-up star returns home, only to find old habits die hard amidst family chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- frantic
- sardonic
- candid
- arthouse movie night
- independent film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Sean Baker’s vivid social realism and Simon Rex’s energetic performance, while some found the lengthy middle section repetitive and insufficiently critical of Mikey’s exploitation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mikey repeatedly uses confidence, sexual appeal, and persuasive storytelling to regain access to Lexi’s household and pursue Strawberry.
The Texas City setting, low-wage work, drug economy, and struggling residents create a specific portrait of marginal American life.
The film’s energetic humor and Mikey’s exuberance coexist with his predatory ambitions toward Strawberry and his treatment of women.
Mikey returns to Texas City after his porn career collapses, seeking refuge with estranged family while trying to restart his ambitions.
Films like Red Rocket, and why
Tangerine
shared focus on economically marginal characters, candid naturalism, and darkly comic human behavior
The Florida Project
shared portrait of morally compromised outsiders, abrasive comedy, and contemporary American precarity
フロリダ・プロジェクト
shared Sean Baker interest in sex work, exploitation, and vivid working-class communities rendered with empathy and discomfort
The King of Comedy
shared toxic masculinity, self-invention, and bleakly comic social satire centered on an unreliable striver
Movie Details
- Director
- Sean Baker
- Release Date
- 2021-12-10
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (668)
Cast
- Simon Rex
- Suzanna Son
- Bree Elrod
- Ethan Darbone
- Brenda Deiss
- Judy Hill
- Brittney Rodriguez
- Marlon Lambert
- Vickie Pearce
- Bashir Abboud
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Red Rocket about?
- A disgraced ex-porn star manipulates his way through a Texas homecoming, turning charm, hustling, and sexual ambition into a corrosive dark comedy.
- What is Red Rocket like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Red Rocket as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Red Rocket violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Red Rocket as mild.
- What did critics think of Red Rocket?
- Critics broadly praised Sean Baker’s vivid social realism and Simon Rex’s energetic performance, while some found the lengthy middle section repetitive and insufficiently critical of Mikey’s exploitation.
- Which films are like Red Rocket?
- Films with a similar feel include Tangerine, The Florida Project, フロリダ・プロジェクト, and The King of Comedy.
- How long is Red Rocket?
- Red Rocket runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch Red Rocket?
- In United States, Red Rocket is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
