A charismatic, washed-up adult film actor grooms a teenage girl as his protege in the director’s ambiguous follow-up to Tangerine and The Florida Project
How much do you have to like a movie’s protagonist to like a movie? That’s a question that rattled around my head as I watched Red Rocket, a comedy drama from Sean Baker, the American indie king behind empathic gems Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017). In both those life-affirmingly humane masterpieces, Baker showcased marginalised characters whose lives were presented in rich, textured hues. However flawed they might have been, they were easy to engage with.
On its absurdist, slapstick surface, the antihero of Red Rocket is cut from similar cloth: an outsider with a survivor’s instinct and charisma to spare. Simon Rex is Mikey “Saber” Davies, a washed-up hustler who has been earning a living in the adult film industry in LA.
How much do you have to like a movie’s protagonist to like a movie? That’s a question that rattled around my head as I watched Red Rocket, a comedy drama from Sean Baker, the American indie king behind empathic gems Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017). In both those life-affirmingly humane masterpieces, Baker showcased marginalised characters whose lives were presented in rich, textured hues. However flawed they might have been, they were easy to engage with.
On its absurdist, slapstick surface, the antihero of Red Rocket is cut from similar cloth: an outsider with a survivor’s instinct and charisma to spare. Simon Rex is Mikey “Saber” Davies, a washed-up hustler who has been earning a living in the adult film industry in LA.
- 3/13/2022
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Brenda Deiss, the Texas City local who made her acting debut in Sean Baker’s 2021 film “Red Rocket,” has died of complications after suffering a stroke. She was 60.
The former secretary appeared in the indie film as Lil, the mother-in-law of Simon Rex’s charming grifter ex-porn star character Mikey Saber. Big-hearted but tough as nails, Lil allows Mikey to temporarily live with her and estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) when he comes crawling back to their Texas City hometown, looking for a fresh start.
Writer-director Sean Baker announced the news of Deiss’ passing in a tribute recalling how he and the Texas City native met in a chance encounter.
“Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led to us working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder and love,” wrote Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films.
The former secretary appeared in the indie film as Lil, the mother-in-law of Simon Rex’s charming grifter ex-porn star character Mikey Saber. Big-hearted but tough as nails, Lil allows Mikey to temporarily live with her and estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) when he comes crawling back to their Texas City hometown, looking for a fresh start.
Writer-director Sean Baker announced the news of Deiss’ passing in a tribute recalling how he and the Texas City native met in a chance encounter.
“Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led to us working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder and love,” wrote Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films.
- 2/16/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Brenda Deiss, the unexpected star who played the no-nonsense, foul-mouthed matriarch “Lil” in Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket,” has died following complications from a stroke, as announced February 16.
The former NASA secretary was 60 years old.
Writer-director Baker confirmed the news on Wednesday, tweeting a statement in Deiss’ honor.
“I have some very sad news to report. Brenda Deiss, who played Lil in ‘Red Rocket,’ passed away on Monday [February 14] after suffering a stroke,” Baker wrote. “I remember every detail of the moment Brenda and I met. It was a chance meeting in her hometown of Texas City, TX. Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led us to working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder, and love.”
Baker added, “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us,...
The former NASA secretary was 60 years old.
Writer-director Baker confirmed the news on Wednesday, tweeting a statement in Deiss’ honor.
“I have some very sad news to report. Brenda Deiss, who played Lil in ‘Red Rocket,’ passed away on Monday [February 14] after suffering a stroke,” Baker wrote. “I remember every detail of the moment Brenda and I met. It was a chance meeting in her hometown of Texas City, TX. Her incredible energy and carefree spirit made an indelible impression on me. This led us to working together but more importantly getting to know an incredible woman who was full of heart, wonder, and love.”
Baker added, “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us,...
- 2/16/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Brenda Deiss, the former secretary who was cast by Red Rocket writer-director Sean Baker to play the mother-in-law of Simon Rex’s lead character Mikey Saber, died Monday at Clear Lake Hospital in Clear Lake, Texas, of complications from in a stroke last month. She was 60.
A spokesperson for the film confirmed her death. See Baker’s Instagram tribute below.
In a statement provided to Deadline, Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films, said: “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us, some of them heartbreaking and others insightful and fascinating. We all have people in our lives that change it for the better, and Brenda was one of those people for me. I will miss her dearly.”
Bree Elrod, who played Deiss’ daughter in Red Rocket, said in a statement: “We shared a lot of...
A spokesperson for the film confirmed her death. See Baker’s Instagram tribute below.
In a statement provided to Deadline, Baker, who often casts non-professional actors in his films, said: “In the short time we spent together, she created with us, laughed with us and shared her stories with us, some of them heartbreaking and others insightful and fascinating. We all have people in our lives that change it for the better, and Brenda was one of those people for me. I will miss her dearly.”
Bree Elrod, who played Deiss’ daughter in Red Rocket, said in a statement: “We shared a lot of...
- 2/16/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Brenda Deiss, a former NASA secretary who became an unexpected movie star with her role as a tough-talking matriarch in “Red Rocket,” died Monday in Clear Lake, Tex., from complications following a stroke she suffered in January. She was 60. A spokesperson for “Red Rocket” confirmed Deiss’ death to Variety.
Deiss came to acting late in life. In 2020, writer-director Sean Baker was scouting locations for a new film about a downtrodden porn star that would be shot in the area of Texas City, when he had a chance encounter with Deiss. After meeting her, Baker, who often casts first-time actors in movies such as “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” was convinced that she was perfect to play a pivotal supporting role in his new film. “We found our Lil!,” Baker declared to his team, and Deiss was soon cast as a Texas woman who allows Simon Rex’s Mikey Saber to...
Deiss came to acting late in life. In 2020, writer-director Sean Baker was scouting locations for a new film about a downtrodden porn star that would be shot in the area of Texas City, when he had a chance encounter with Deiss. After meeting her, Baker, who often casts first-time actors in movies such as “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” was convinced that she was perfect to play a pivotal supporting role in his new film. “We found our Lil!,” Baker declared to his team, and Deiss was soon cast as a Texas woman who allows Simon Rex’s Mikey Saber to...
- 2/16/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Film Review: Red Rocket (2021): A Remarkably Acted and Very Intriguing Film from Director Sean Baker
Red Rocket Review — Red Rocket (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Sean Baker and starring Simon Rex, Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod, Brenda Deiss, Judy Hill, Brittney Rodriguez, Ethan Darbone and Alex Michell. Red Rocket, directed by Sean Baker (who also co-wrote the screenplay), is so remarkable in what it does right that when [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Red Rocket (2021): A Remarkably Acted and Very Intriguing Film from Director Sean Baker...
Continue reading: Film Review: Red Rocket (2021): A Remarkably Acted and Very Intriguing Film from Director Sean Baker...
- 1/15/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the latest film of writer/director Sean Baker, “Red Rocket” currently in select theaters, see local listings.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Simon Rex is Mikey, a broke-ass porn star who moves back to his backwater Texas hometown. He takes residence with his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss), who really don’t want him there. In the meantime, he starts peddling marijuana and discovers a potential new adult film star he nicknames Strawberry (Suzanna Son). Is he about to wear out his just-established welcome?
“Red Rocket” is currently in select theaters, see local listings. Featuring Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son and Brenda Deiss. Written and directed by Sean Baker. Rated “R”
Click here for Patrick McDonald’s full on-air review of “Red Rocket”
Red Rocket
Photo credit: A24
Click...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Simon Rex is Mikey, a broke-ass porn star who moves back to his backwater Texas hometown. He takes residence with his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss), who really don’t want him there. In the meantime, he starts peddling marijuana and discovers a potential new adult film star he nicknames Strawberry (Suzanna Son). Is he about to wear out his just-established welcome?
“Red Rocket” is currently in select theaters, see local listings. Featuring Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son and Brenda Deiss. Written and directed by Sean Baker. Rated “R”
Click here for Patrick McDonald’s full on-air review of “Red Rocket”
Red Rocket
Photo credit: A24
Click...
- 12/26/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Simon Rex in Sean Baker’s dark comedy Red Rocket. Courtesy of A24.
A shabby man (Simon Rex) stumbles off a bus and heads for a modest house in a little Texas town. He seems confident they will take him in but, despite an outpouring of charm, they refuse to let him set foot in the place. Not only don’t the residents let him in, they order him off their property. You know there is more to this story, and we are about to find out what in Sean Baker’s comedy Red Rocket.
The film opens with Nsync’s song “Bye, Bye, Bye,” which becomes a kind of running theme, in this comic tale. Good-bye is what most of these people want to say to Mikey Saber, the fellow fresh off the bus. Comedian and former MTV star Simon Rex is perfectly cast as smooth-talking Mikey Saber, an...
A shabby man (Simon Rex) stumbles off a bus and heads for a modest house in a little Texas town. He seems confident they will take him in but, despite an outpouring of charm, they refuse to let him set foot in the place. Not only don’t the residents let him in, they order him off their property. You know there is more to this story, and we are about to find out what in Sean Baker’s comedy Red Rocket.
The film opens with Nsync’s song “Bye, Bye, Bye,” which becomes a kind of running theme, in this comic tale. Good-bye is what most of these people want to say to Mikey Saber, the fellow fresh off the bus. Comedian and former MTV star Simon Rex is perfectly cast as smooth-talking Mikey Saber, an...
- 12/25/2021
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The latest desolate, yet splendidly hilarious, comedic offering from writer/director Sean Baker (whose previous works include the formidable The Florida Project [2017] and the equally impressive Tangerine [2015]), Red Rocket, paints a cynical, and often despondent view of a somewhat ubiquitous hustler in Texas trying to make the next big score.
The problem that Mikey (Simon Rex) faces however, are not the obstacles in the way of his plans to make the big score, but rather his own penchant for self-destructive and often just plain stupid behavior. As the film begins, Mikey is returning from a failed life as a porn star in California and is hoping to stay at the home of the wife (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law (Brenda Deiss) he left behind when he moved out West. In exchange for room and board, Mikey offers to help around the house, which amounts to riding his bike (he can’t...
The problem that Mikey (Simon Rex) faces however, are not the obstacles in the way of his plans to make the big score, but rather his own penchant for self-destructive and often just plain stupid behavior. As the film begins, Mikey is returning from a failed life as a porn star in California and is hoping to stay at the home of the wife (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law (Brenda Deiss) he left behind when he moved out West. In exchange for room and board, Mikey offers to help around the house, which amounts to riding his bike (he can’t...
- 12/25/2021
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
“Best Oral three years in a row,” Mikey Saber brags yet again to a disinterested stranger. As if the thirtysomething, out-of-work porn star’s unprompted self-aggrandizement isn’t tasteless enough, consider that his trophies are for receiving the oral and he thinks they’re well-deserved. It would be easier for the people of Texas City to shoo him away if he wasn’t brandishing the most disarming puppy dog demeanor a person could possess. But that’s what makes Mikey such a rich, complicated character: he’s a livewire of charm and disgrace, a manipulator that’s mastered the art of falling upward, an unforgettable installment in the canon of cinematic grifters. Like most of them, he’s utterly unconscionable. Simon Rex, on the other hand, is quite the opposite.
Rex—who you might recognize from his VJ days on MTV in the mid-90s, or as the mock Marshall Mathers from Scary Movie 3,...
Rex—who you might recognize from his VJ days on MTV in the mid-90s, or as the mock Marshall Mathers from Scary Movie 3,...
- 12/16/2021
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
How did a former New York model who gave what Gus Van Sant once called “one of the worst auditions I’ve ever seen” start winning breakout actor prizes at age 47? For Simon Rex, it entailed sinking his life savings into a property in the desert in Joshua Tree and contemplating flipping houses for a living. Now he’s nominated for a Gotham Award.
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
How did a former New York model who gave what Gus Van Sant once called “one of the worst auditions I’ve ever seen” start winning breakout actor prizes at age 47? For Simon Rex, it entailed sinking his life savings into a property in the desert in Joshua Tree and contemplating flipping houses for a living. Now he’s nominated for a Gotham Award.
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
On October 23, 2020, the former MTV VJ heard from Sean Baker, a director he did not know, who wanted Rex to send in an iPhone audition for the lead role in his upcoming movie. Baker was ready to shoot “Red Rocket”, his follow-up to “The Florida Project” (which landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe), and wanted Rex to read for down-on-his-luck porn star Mikey Saber. “I knew before I even read the script, I was in no position to turn down the Sean Baker movie,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sean Baker's films often touch on complex aspects of human life and don't shy away from getting into survival's grittiness.
Red Rocket once again proves Baker's skills while highlighting fantastic performances throughout the whole cast.
Simon Rex provides a masterful performance to Baker's excellent directing skills and creates a beautiful film.
The film is set in a small town in 2016, Texas, where Rex's character Mikey Saber returns after doing porn for years.
The whole film sets itself against the 2016 presidential election campaigns. While not a significant plot point in the film, the election as the backdrop made for interesting dynamics and viewpoints.
The writing and directing stood out significantly, making this a great follow-up from Baker's 2017 film The Florida Project.
The two films have a lot in common: they're both character-driven stories, the setting feels like a character, and the style feels intimate.
Simon Rex's character takes center stage in Red Rocket,...
Red Rocket once again proves Baker's skills while highlighting fantastic performances throughout the whole cast.
Simon Rex provides a masterful performance to Baker's excellent directing skills and creates a beautiful film.
The film is set in a small town in 2016, Texas, where Rex's character Mikey Saber returns after doing porn for years.
The whole film sets itself against the 2016 presidential election campaigns. While not a significant plot point in the film, the election as the backdrop made for interesting dynamics and viewpoints.
The writing and directing stood out significantly, making this a great follow-up from Baker's 2017 film The Florida Project.
The two films have a lot in common: they're both character-driven stories, the setting feels like a character, and the style feels intimate.
Simon Rex's character takes center stage in Red Rocket,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Michael T. Stack
- TVfanatic
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By A Cast Ensemble
Updated: Nov 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By A Cast Ensemble
Updated: Nov 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
- 11/25/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Red Rocket director and co-screenwriter Sean Baker revealed that Mikey Saber, the always-hustling washed-up porn actor who returns to the Texas hometown that wasn’t exactly sorry to see him go, was inspired by real-life adult-film actors he encountered and that he always envisioned as a role for Simon Rex.
“My co-screenwriter, Chris Bergoch and I, we were doing research on a film that we made … called Starlet, which also focused on the adult-film industry,” Baker told Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, sharing a panel with the film’s actors Rex, Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son.
“Getting to know people within that industry, we realized there was this archetype, because we met a handful of men like Mikey Saber – and they even had a term applied to them within the industry, slang term: ‘suitcase pimp,’” said Baker, whose most recent indie hit was 2017’s The Florida Project. “We found...
“My co-screenwriter, Chris Bergoch and I, we were doing research on a film that we made … called Starlet, which also focused on the adult-film industry,” Baker told Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, sharing a panel with the film’s actors Rex, Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son.
“Getting to know people within that industry, we realized there was this archetype, because we met a handful of men like Mikey Saber – and they even had a term applied to them within the industry, slang term: ‘suitcase pimp,’” said Baker, whose most recent indie hit was 2017’s The Florida Project. “We found...
- 11/15/2021
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 has shifted the release date for Sean Baker’s film, Red Rocket, pushing it back a week from the 3rd to the 10th of December.
The dark comedy from the director of The Florida Project and Tangerine was previously set to open against Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Greenwich Entertainment doc Try Harder!, Focus Features’ drama Wolf, Fip’s Tadap, Camille Griffin’s holiday horror pic Silent Night, and Faith Media Distribution’s True to the Game 3.
It’s now set to play against two major awards contenders—Steven Spielberg’s 20th Century Studios remake of West Side Story and Amazon’s Aaron Sorkin pic Being the Ricardos—along with STX Entertainment’s action thriller Violence of Action, starring Chris Pine.
Red Rocket centers on Mikey Saber (Simon Rex), a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown—regardless of the fact that no one wants him back.
The dark comedy from the director of The Florida Project and Tangerine was previously set to open against Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Greenwich Entertainment doc Try Harder!, Focus Features’ drama Wolf, Fip’s Tadap, Camille Griffin’s holiday horror pic Silent Night, and Faith Media Distribution’s True to the Game 3.
It’s now set to play against two major awards contenders—Steven Spielberg’s 20th Century Studios remake of West Side Story and Amazon’s Aaron Sorkin pic Being the Ricardos—along with STX Entertainment’s action thriller Violence of Action, starring Chris Pine.
Red Rocket centers on Mikey Saber (Simon Rex), a washed-up porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown—regardless of the fact that no one wants him back.
- 11/8/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
"I'm not afraid to fight you!" A24 has revealed the first official trailer for the film Red Rocket, the latest from Sean Baker which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. It also stopped by the Telluride, Deauville, San Sebastián, and New York Film Festivals this year, and opens in theaters starting this December. Red Rocket is about a washed up, low-life porn star actor named Mikey Saber who returns to his hometown in Texas and tries to move back in with his wife. But no one really wants him there or likes him much. "The audacious new film from writer-director Sean Baker, starring Simon Rex in a magnetic, live-wire performance." The cast includes Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod, Brenda Deiss, Ethan Darbone, Brittney Rodriguez, and Judy Hill. This is a very good flick; even if it's awkward and cringe and this guy is a slimy bastard, Baker makes...
- 10/5/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
With the musical accompaniment of ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye,” A24 has released the first trailer for Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” with Simon Rex.
Shot in secret during the pandemic, the upcoming dramedy is written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. It stars Rex as Mikey Saber, a porn star who returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, after his Los Angeles lifestyle leaves him broke. When he arrives home, claiming to be a reformed man, his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss) aren’t happy to see him, and things take another turn when a teen girl named Strawberry catches his eye.
Displaying Mikey’s smooth-talking charm in a turquoise tie-dye shirt, the trailer shows him bike-riding to job interviews, getting into verbal spats and claiming to be able to “100% out-cardio” a guy who gut-punches him outside a drive-thru donut shop. “Red Rocket” premiered...
Shot in secret during the pandemic, the upcoming dramedy is written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. It stars Rex as Mikey Saber, a porn star who returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, after his Los Angeles lifestyle leaves him broke. When he arrives home, claiming to be a reformed man, his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss) aren’t happy to see him, and things take another turn when a teen girl named Strawberry catches his eye.
Displaying Mikey’s smooth-talking charm in a turquoise tie-dye shirt, the trailer shows him bike-riding to job interviews, getting into verbal spats and claiming to be able to “100% out-cardio” a guy who gut-punches him outside a drive-thru donut shop. “Red Rocket” premiered...
- 10/5/2021
- by Clayton Davis and Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
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