Red Rocket

After a 17-year gap, Mikey Saber, portrayed by Simon Rex, finds himself back in Texas City, his Gulf Coast hometown, in 2016. Arriving battered and nearly broke, he seeks refuge at the modest home of his estranged wife, Bree Elrod, who plays Lexi, and her mother, Brenda Deiss as Lil. Desperate, Mikey pleads with them to allow him to stay, but they demand that he find a job and contribute around the house.

The charming yet slippery Mikey tries to secure employment at a local diner and a Dollar General store, but his long absence from the workforce—having spent nearly twenty years as a porn star in Los Angeles—becomes a significant obstacle. Upon revealing his past, potential employers swiftly reject him. In a moment of desperation, he turns to Judy Hill as Leondria, a marijuana dealer, persuading her to take him back to help sell weed. Although Leondria and her daughter, Brittney Rodriguez as June, are wary of his intentions, they begrudgingly continue their business when Mikey brings back earnings.

With newfound cash, Mikey pays one month’s rent in advance and treats Lexi and Lil to a celebration at a doughnut shop, where he becomes infatuated with Suzanna Son as Strawberry, the attractive 17-year-old cashier. His frequent visits to the shop lead him to convince Strawberry to let him sell pot to the construction workers who frequent the place. Their relationship quickly escalates into a sexual affair. After several nights on the couch, Mikey’s interaction with Lexi deepens, culminating in her inviting him to share her bed. However, complications arise when Mikey sneaks away for a weekend with Strawberry, igniting Lexi’s jealousy and leading to a heated confrontation where she throws a coffee pot at him.

Mikey forms an unlikely friendship with Lexi’s neighbor, Ethan Darbone as Lonnie, who is captivated by Mikey’s outrageous tales of his past. Their escapades take a dark turn when an impulsive decision by Mikey leads to a catastrophic accident on the highway. Lonnie, feeling pressured, ends up taking the blame for the incident after Mikey convinces him to hide the truth.

Tensions mount further when Mikey’s actions prompt Strawberry to break up with her high-school boyfriend, Nash, who, along with his parents, violently confronts Mikey in the doughnut shop parking lot. In a bid for escape, Mikey entices Strawberry to join him in a move to Los Angeles to chase a career in adult films. However, as Mikey prepares to leave, Lexi and Lil hatch a plan with Leondria to recover the $3,000 he earned from selling pot. In a moment of humiliation, Mikey barely escapes a troublesome confrontation, leaving behind everything but a few personal items.

The film draws to a poignant close as Mikey, after a sleepless night traversing on foot towards Strawberry’s house, envisions her in a red bikini at her doorstep. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears well up in his eyes, leading to a bittersweet chuckle before the screen fades to black.

Last Updated: November 15, 2024 at 17:23