Sean Baker’s dark comedy Red Rocket was one of the most controversial films of 2021. Baker is a filmmaker who truly embodies realism and casts many non-actors in major roles. His previous films, Tangerine and The Florida Project were meticulously researched and seemed genuinely empathetic to the communities they were depicting. While he did the same thing with Red Rocket, not all viewers were comfortable with the lifestyle he chose to put under the spotlight. However, some critics were charmed by the film’s unlikely protagonist.
Red Rocket stars the rapper, comedian, and Scary Movie actor Simon Rex as the pornographic film star Mikey Davies, who goes by the stage name “Mikey Saber.” Mikey has hit a bit of a downward slump in his career and has been struggling financially. He leaves Los Angeles and returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas. Mikey is bruised, bloodied, and desperate for cash. He convinces his ex-wife, Lexi (Bree Elrod), to give him shelter in her run-down home. Neither Lexi nor her mother, Lil (Brenda Deiss), want anything to do with him.
Mikey finds part-time work at a local Dollar General. After stopping by a local donut shop, he takes an interest in teenage Raylee (Suzanna Son), who goes by the nickname "Strawberry" and works the cash register. Mikey returns to the shop every day to flirt with her. They eventually start seeing each other regularly and having sex. Mikey pretends to Strawberry that he is wealthy and lives in a grand house. He also tells her that he thinks she has a future in pornography.
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Obviously, the entire central relationship is completely disturbing. A viewer’s enjoyment of the film may vary on whether they’re convinced that Baker is satirizing and not lionizing Rex’s character. In the end, everything blows up in Mikey’s face. His downward spiral is simultaneously tragic and hilarious. Mikey finally understands his reality in the film’s final moments. If you’re unclear on what exactly Baker is implying, here is the ending of Red Rocket, explained in full spoiler detail.
Mikey’s big plan is to bring Strawberry to Los Angeles with him and help launch her career in porn. After telling Lexi, who he started sleeping with again, his ex-wife is furious. She contacts Mikey’s old acquaintance Leondria (Judy Hill). Mikey has been selling marijuana for Leonadria, and Lexi tells her to take back the $3,000 that he had earned while dealing for her. Leondria's daughter, June (Brittney Rodriguez), and her brothers show up at Lexi’s house to threaten Mikey. He barely manages to escape and runs naked through the neighborhood.
Leondria gives Mikey $200 and tells him to never return to Texas City. Mikey heads over to Strawberry’s house. He knows that he’ll have to be quick once he gets there. As he reaches his destination, Mikey has a vision of Strawberry in a red bathing suit. He begins to cry. However, Red Rocket ends before either character’s ultimate fate is revealed. Whether Mikey actually reaches Strawberry’s house, if she agrees to join him and whether he brings her with him to California are all left to the viewer’s interpretation.
The scene is purposefully ambiguous. Throughout the film, Mikey has used his charisma to survive. He’s at his lowest, and it’s left unclear if he’s able to pull off another miracle. Although Mikey’s desires are all selfish, his twisted dream of making Strawberry his “apprentice” is the only thing he’s ever really cared about. He starts to cry because he is so close to reaching his goal. Baker shows just how pathetic Mikey really is. It doesn’t try to justify his actions, even if Mikey considers himself to be a hero.
Baker himself has been open in discussing the film’s ambiguity. In an interview with Thrillist, he said that it was “liberating” to let the audience choose their own ending; "I realized that a lot of my favorite films allow the audience to write their own endings,” he said of The Florida Project's ending: “In that case, I think it's really about getting into the head of little Moonee. Even if it's her escape through fantasy, let's embrace that."
Baker said that he chose to show Mikey’s vision of Strawberry to dissect the male gaze. Mikey continues to fantasize about his future, even when he has all the odds stacked against him. Baker wasn’t trying to make Mikey empathetic, but the dream sequence of Strawberry is the first time the viewer sees things from his point of view. It’s difficult to stomach how Mikey perceives the world, and more importantly, how he views women.
It’s not the film that is objectifying Strawberry; it’s just Mikey. This scene is particularly impactful because previously, the film was presented through a purely objective lens. It’s observing authentic characters in a realistic situation. As he had done with his previous films, Baker doesn’t cast judgment on the characters. If there are any hints on whether or not Mikey is successful, it’s worth digging into the historical context of the story. Red Rocket is set amidst the 2016 Presidential Election. History itself took a dark direction, which could foreshadow an equally depressing ending to the film.