76
Metascore
49 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonThe film becomes convoluted in its final stretches, losing the effortless sweep which that preceded, but even then Rex’s masterful turn keeps us glued to the screen
- 91IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichRed Rocket is so arresting because of how it keeps hope alive by rescuing devastation from the jaws of happiness.
- 90SlashfilmJason GorberSlashfilmJason GorberThe end result is a real pleasure, taking us along for a wild ride. Yes, it’s slightly too long, and Baker and his team could probably trim a bit to make things even tighter. Yet there’s so much charm at play, so much joy in watching even the moments of pain and embarrassment that it’s difficult to criticize.
- 88Slant MagazinePat BrownSlant MagazinePat BrownSean Baker is dedicated at the same time to the material realities of being poor in the United States and to the irreverent artificiality of snap zooms, smash cuts, and unexpected music cues.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawWith Red Rocket, Sean Baker has given us an adult American pastoral, essentially a comedy, and another study of tough lives at the margin, close in spirit to his lo-fi breakthrough Tangerine.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyAt a little over two hours, Red Rocket suffers mildly from prolix stretches, and just like The Florida Project, it could have used some tightening. But it’s a pleasure to put yourself in Baker’s capable hands as he ambles through his loose story with its affectionate, slyly humorous character observations and immersive sense of place.
- 80The TelegraphTim RobeyThe TelegraphTim RobeyAdmirers of Baker’s earlier work will have a journey to go on here, first in missing the rowdy companionship of protagonists who weren’t wholly out for themselves. As spectacle, this study of a dirtbag running out of extra lives falls into the category of crowd-baiting, not crowd-pleasing. Mikey, repeatedly, is just the worst.
- 80Vanity FairRichard LawsonVanity FairRichard LawsonThe film is best viewed as a tricky character study, one about the undulations and relentless demands of self-worth—and, of course, of money, which is always a focus of Baker’s films.
- 50VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeEverything in Red Rocket happens just a little too easily, which is one of the weaknesses of a self-indulgent regional satire that stretches its perhaps-80-minute plot over more than two hours.