Sorry to Bother You

Sorry to Bother You

I'd just like to start by saying I saw this at a Regal theater (a big mainstream multiplex, as opposed to an ArcLight or any kind of indie theater). The fact that a film this wild and unique got a wide release is enough to be considered an achievement in and of itself. I'm so excited about the attention indie films have been starting to get thanks to movies like Birdman, Moonlight, and The Shape of Water winning Best Picture and Get Out in particular for reminding studios that small-budget films can make Summer blockbuster money if they're done right. Without movies like these, we'd never get something as insane as Sorry to Bother You playing right next to Incredibles 2.

This is going to be a spoiler-free review, which means I can't talk about it too much, but I'll say right now that it's not going to be for everybody, but for those of you who are willing to go on a journey to somewhere you've never gone before, this is for you.

The story starts off simply enough, Lakeith Stanfield plays a guy who needs a job, so he starts working at a telemarketing company...and that's about as much as I'm willing to say. But just from that there's already all sorts of interesting choices being made.

Everything from the costumes to the props to the sets are all so specific that they're instantly memorable. It's clear that Boots Riley had a vision for every single tiny detail and went out of his way to get absolutely all of it on the screen. The cinematography, production design, and visual effects are all totally unique and wonderful to watch. He went as far as to compose the entire soundtrack for the film himself (though that's not a stretch since Riley is a musician), so both visually and audibly the film is entirely Riley's. It's such a bizarre singular vision that I'm deeply excited to see whatever the rapper/musician/composer might do next in his filmmaking career (or whatever direction he decides to go in).

That's as detailed as I'm willing to go, but I highly recommend checking out this movie if you're into weird filmmaking and want to see something new. If you've already seen this movie and you're looking for something else like it, I highly recommend the Robert Downy Sr. film Putney Swope, which is honestly the only other movie I can think of that bears some resemblance to Sorry to Bother You (though Riley never saw it).