Boots Riley has slowly been making his way through the film industry over the past few years since his first feature-length film, “Sorry to Bother You,” starring LaKeith Stanfield, back in 2018. He’s known for his surrealism mixed with socio-political commentary through his work. He also was part of an alternative hip hop group back in the day called the Coup.
Now with his latest effort, he’s released “I Love Boosters”, starring Keke Palmer, who has been slowly climbing up the ranks as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the new generation.
The film follows Corvette (Keke Palmer), an aspiring fashion designer in the Bay Area who gets by “boosting” (stealing luxury clothes and giving them back to people that don’t have the means). Christie Smith, on the other hand, is a fashion icon who benefits from Corvette’s creations.
Corvette forms a group of girls that share her ambitions to take down Christie.The cast of characters includess Sade (Naomi Ackie), Mariah (Taylor Paige) and eventually, factory worker Jianhu (Poppy Liu). LaKeith Stanfield also reunites with Boots Riley with an appearance in this film.
Keke Palmer really sells the role as Corvette, giving the character a sense of charisma and vibrance to the overall story. She also has great chemistry with the other “boosters” as they go on this journey.
This movie adds Poppy Liu as Jianhu later on, shifting the message of the storyline as our main group of characters is conned by the world of capitalism. Christie Smith uses their creations for her personal gain while Poppy Liu’s Jianhu adds a different POV to the story relating to her unpaid labor and long hours working for Smith.
Although their situations are different, they’re both connected by the same problem, which is capitalism taking advantage of creatives for profit.
Palmer’s last pivotal movie was “One of Them Days” with SZA, which was more of a fun comedy about two best friends getting caught up in ridiculous situations. While this movie is still very fun and comedic, this movie tends to offer a lot more.
This movie features some bizarre visuals and wild action, especially in the third act, but at its core, it’s a complex story about art, the fashion industry and living in a capitalist world. Riley uses comedy to make these themes more digestible for audiences while still conveying a strong message.
The first thing that’s very notable about this movie is its aesthetic and vibes. It’s very vibrant and colorful, almost reminiscent of the 2003 “Cat in the Hat” with its bright colors and exaggerated production design, while its avant-garde fashion showcase is reminiscent of an indie film.
The score is also very whimsical and bouncy with the “Hi-Hi-Ho” theme circling around the film. It’s a very artsy movie, not just visually, but with its themes and social commentary.
One criticism is the film’s few unnecessary scenes that could have been cut or shortened. There’s also one or two suggestive scenes that don’t feel like they have a strong place in the main storyline. Lakeith Stanfield’s character seems pretty random at face value, but maybe there’s an underlying message in between there.
“I Love Boosters” also may get a little too predictable and goofy near the end, which may make the film stray away from its more serious themes. This movie won’t be for everyone, but for the people that like Black films that stray away from the norm, you will enjoy this.
Overall, the film is very out there and really showcases the creative and weird mind of Boots Riley and how he uses vibrant and colorful visuals to portray a message through his art. It’s comedic, stylish, experimental and thought-provoking. As a Black filmmaker in a space where a lot of Black film is often showcased to tell stories about trauma or unnecessary drama, I appreciate the refreshingly fun, whimsical vibrancy of this film that also has something to say.
