One of the most genuine filmmakers returns with an authentic and absolutely hilarious film. Sean Baker’s Red Rocket tells the story of Mikey Saber, a washed-up porn star who returns to his hometown of Texas City and reencounters his estranged wife. He also meets her mother, an underage girl who he develops a romantic relationship with, and a large cast of zany characters who add to his already crazy life.

Bona fide characters are a staple in Sean Baker films, and there is no shortage of this in Red Rocket. Our lead, Mikey Saber, can be relatable, disgusting, charismatic, and hateable, sometimes all at once. At his most charming, you want to be his friend, laugh with him, and help him through his tough times. At his most revolting, you despise him and wonder how in the world he continues to make the same mistakes over and over again.

The supporting characters also add to the rich detail and connection of this story and reflect different aspects of Mikey’s character. For example, the sour attitude of Mikey’s estranged wife Lexi is the result of his neglectful persona that feeds off self-interest. On the other hand, his love interest, Strawberry, is a young girl that shows Mikey’s caring self while also revealing how absurd and downright disgusting he can be for getting involved with someone he knows he shouldn't be with.

The technical aspects of this film are not the most flashy and eye-catching, but subtle scenery choices add to the colorful overtone of the film. The story itself is engaging and fun but also retains a sense of bleak realism and heavy drama. Red Rocket is a movie that does not spoon-feed jokes to the audience but rather allows them to find moments of comedy through the well-developed characters, engaging story, pitch-perfect tone, and stellar filmmaking that Sean Baker continues to deliver. When it comes to the ensemble, Simon Rex delivers the best performance as our protagonist. However, the rest of the cast also give near flawless performances. Overall, Red Rocket is comedic, relatable, purposeful, and is truly one of the best films of the year.

10/10