★★★☆☆
The New Jersey-born film-maker Sean Baker, who made The Florida Project and Tangerine, specialises in strivers and grifters who scratch out an existence at the margins of the American dream, who are both utterly repellent and queasily compelling. Red Rocket follows a washed-up porn star named Mikey (Simon Rex) who returns to Texas City to reconnect with his estranged wife, Lexi (Bree Elrod), and her mum (Brenda Deiss), and crash for a few days.
They take him into their bungalow. Mikey is soon dealing dope and chatting up a 17-year-old redhead named Raylee (Suzanna Son) at the local doughnut shop. “You live in Hollywood managing actors but you’re in Texas City riding a bike and hitting on high schoolers?” she asks, doubtfully. With
