Review: 'Red Rocket' Finds Layers to Even the Worst of People

Mikey Saber is a real piece of work, though most people who know him would likely replace "work" with "shit" and call it a day. But Mikey transcends fecal-themed descriptors and is more than just your standard scumbag. His calculated cons and desperate, selfish grasps at gratification leave anybody in his vicinity at risk of becoming a casualty. And once the damage is done, he'll just up and leave. That is, until he comes running back the moment he needs something.

It's at this stage in the game where we first find Mikey, the pungent protagonist of Sean Baker's "Red Rocket." The nostalgic harmonies of NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" fill the opening credits, as Mikey is bus bound to Texas City, TX, and ready to cause havoc. With a beat-up face and a worn outfit, he storms up to the house of his ex-wife, Lexi ("we're still married," she eventually reminds him, to essentially no acknowledgment) and immediately starts making himself at home. Why let him in? Why not kick him out? Well, as the world of Baker's story unravels, we learn that money and security can sometimes outweigh the negatives of having an asshole living in your home.

That's just one of the many culturally charged and sociopolitical nuggets within the film, as Baker, a filmmaker always fascinated by the layers of others' perspectives, digs into that of his most unlikeable protagonist to date and the lives of those in the path of his battering ram. Simon Rex brings life to the story's scummy hero-in-his-own-mind, and in doing so delivers the best performance of his career, which has included being an MTV VJ, a star in the "Scary Movie" franchise, and a rapper (his alias: Dirt Nasty).

Oh, and he also used to make videos of himself jerking off, making him a spot-on candidate for the role of Mikey. Did I forget to mention that Mikey is a washed-up porn star, returning to his hometown after twenty years in the business?

In "Red Rocket," Rex is hilarious, pathetic, uncomfortable to watch, manically charged, and even exhausting at times. It's a performance that truly never lets his foot off the gas. But Rex's incredible work is amongst a cast of equally exceptional actors, from Bree Elrod as Lexi to newcomer Suzanna Son as Strawberry. In the former, we find Mikey's neglect, abuse, and manipulation. In the latter, we also find manipulation in the form of grooming, as much of the film is spent watching Mikey exploit the 17-year-old Strawberry in hopes of bringing her back to Los Angeles to reignite his porn career.

To Mikey, Strawberry is someone he can fuck in more ways than one, and any empathy or comprehension of his horrendous actions is hindered by the blinding ignorance of his own self-importance and greed. She isn't human to him. She's a ticket back to a lifestyle where it's all Mikey, all the time, because that's the way Mikey likes it.

The most quiet moments in this frequently chaotic film occur in the morning, as Mikey sits on the porch, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette, staring out into the distance. Occasionally, he looks over at the dog and likely wonders, "Does this dog know how bad I am?" And then he looks out at the world again, takes a drag, and acknowledges internally that he's a piece of shit who hurts people. But then he ashes out the butt and decides to just keep on doing it.

We shouldn't feel sorry for Mikey, nor root for him, but Baker paints him as anything but one-dimensional. There are layers even to the shittiest of human beings, and curious works like "Red Rocket" bring a new perspective to that ugliness of human nature.

"Red Rocket" opens wide on Christmas Day