This is a wonderfully well observed and seedy little examination of the underbelly of a forgotten industry; and a character study of a complete and utter leech whom we should run for the hills for the moment we see him, yet cannot help but like him and and be endeared by his charm, which makes him all the more dangerous.
Set against the backdrop of the 2016 US Presidential election, this film is all run down industry, dead end towns, poor people and as a result is actually a lot better and far more honest at depicting the cultural divide in America than many of the hamfisted attempts to capture it in more "political" films. There's an awesome opening shot with Mikey contrasted with the fading, dying industry of Texas, and the whole film continues to have these gorgeous moments like that. My favourite image was of the characters smoking cigarettes with American flag wallpapers continuously over the course of the film. I'll let that sink in for a moment and all that it entails...
Yet for all of its impressive work, it's still a gritty and ugly movie at heart, in the best possible way. Think of this as a prequel to "Star 80" (brief side note: WATCH STAR 80!) and you're going to know what you are in for.
This is, at its core, a movie about a truly despicable leeching piece of shit clinging to the coat tails of anything he can to get by.
And I kind of love him.
Simon Rex is one HELL of a find here, and praise is also going quite rightly to Suzanna Son, who is also excellent in this.
I thought this movie was a really fun, genuinely funny examination of a desperate person clinging to fame in the "land of opportunity" at any cost.
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