Red Rocket is one of those films that will most likely leave you speechless at the end.
The story is full of drama, very funny, deeply uncomfortable at times, but the central performance from Simon Rex brings everything together perfectly, turning what could have been a very awkward screenplay into something rather spectacular and captivating.
Barely off screen for a second, Rex manages to bring a certain amount of charm to what is a truly reprehensible character, in a way that only the most accomplished of actors can do. Suzanna Son matches him perfectly and gives a terrific performance. Without these great performances this film would have completely fallen apart, but not a single cast member was out of place.
Sean Baker's direction is excellent. It has such an arty feel, really demonstrating how low budget films can punch above their weight with a talented director at the helm. The setting was perfect and the style and tone were spot on.
An absolutely terrific film which vastly exceeded my expectations.
