Joey Magidson
I remember how absolutely blown away I was by Sorry to Bother You, the feature film debut from Boots Riley. It felt like some kind of new drug was given to me, and not only did I like it, I wanted to be hooked on it. Give me more! Well, Riley is back with I Love Boosters, which has some of the feel of his prior movie, though is operating in a somewhat more audience-friendly register. In fact, this feels like as close to a mainstream flick as we’ll ever see from the audacious auteur. Whether that’s a positive or a negative is up to you, but for me, it’s both, resulting in a work I was very compelled by, yet never quite blown away by.
I Love Boosters has an energy to it that sometimes is almost cartoonish in its comedic elements, though with some deft satire throughout. Riley’s pro worker message is hardly subtle, but it’s certainly easy to get behind. When the film mixes the political commentary with adventure and even science fiction moments, you get the sense that this is a very unique beast. Now, the movie never gets into the wild gear it threatens to, but that’s just preventing the flick from becoming the next Sorry to Bother You.
In an exaggerated version of the Bay Area, Corvette (Keke Palmer) is the leader of the Velvet Gang, a group of professional shoplifters. Alongside teammate Mariah (Taylour Paige) and friend Sade (Naomi Ackie), she targets the stores of high end designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore). Selling the clothes at a deep discount, they’re striking a blow for the have-nots. Corvette is also a clothing designer herself, idolizing Christie. That connection will prove life-changing for both when they have a chance encounter.
That meeting has Christie admire an outfit that Corvette made. She thinks nothing of it, until their latest heist requires some legwork working in one of Christie’s stores. There, they encounter a cashier in Violeta (Eiza González) who wants to unionize the employees. Corvette also sees a design that’s blatantly hers, stolen right out from under her. That inspires her to take their plans a step forward, and that’s only the start of the story, as some sci-fi elements come into play shortly thereafter. I won’t say where this all goes, but it doesn’t even include the presence of characters played by Don Cheadle and LaKeith Stanfield, who expand the story in some very unusual ways.
There are some very nice performances here, led by Keke Palmer. Especially as things get out there and wild, Palmer keeps you grounded with Corvette and her developments. The chemistry Palmer has with Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige is also quite compelling. Together, they invest you in the Velvet Gang from the very beginning. I do wish that Demi Moore had more to do, as she’s playing a bit of a caricature, but she’s having a blast, to be sure. In addition to the aforementioned Don Cheadle, Eiza González, and LaKeith Stanfield, each of whom are very solid, the rest of the cast includes Mahdi Cocci, Adam Devine, Jermaine Fowler, Poppy Liu, Will Poulter, Jason Ritter, Rachel Walters, and more.
Writer/director Boots Riley certainly still keeps it weird (when you learn who Stanfield is here, you’ll be surprised), without question. It’s just not quite as weird as Sorry to Bother You. Riley’s direction is more assured and even ambitious, as I Love Boosters has some real scale to it. His screenplay, however, is similarly high concept, but does ultimately keep things a little more relatable. Again, it’s not actually a mainstream work, it’s just the closest that Riley will get. In that way, he’s made his version of a crowd pleaser.
I Love Boosters worked for me, if a bit less than last time out for Riley. Still, even if this isn’t an unhinged masterpiece, it’s still a big swing that does consistently connect. Go in blind and you’ll be pleased, surprised, and very eager to see more from Riley. I know I can’t wait to see what he does on the big screen next. No one is operating like him, that’s for sure, and that’s pretty valuable.
SCORE: ★★★
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