SXSW: Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ – A Wild Ride Through Consumerism
Eight years after the groundbreaking “Sorry to Bother You,” director Boots Riley returns with “I Love Boosters,” a reality-bending fable that tackles consumer desperation with his signature funk surrealism. Premiering at SXSW, the film doesn’t shy away from being ‘out there,’ offering a spirited and playful provocation that’s arguably even more ambitious than its predecessor.
The film opens with Corvette (Keke Palmer) navigating an Oakland nightclub, seeking… opportunities. Initially appearing as someone offering illicit services, she quickly reveals her true trade: stolen clothes. Racks upon racks of boosted outfits are her stock-in-trade, and even a potential client’s initial outrage quickly turns into a size 10 shoe request. This sets the stage for a comedy of capitalist desperation.
The Velvet Gang: Fashionable Outlaws
“I Love Boosters” centers around Corvette and her crew, Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige), collectively known as the Velvet Gang. Their motto – “Fashion. Forward. Philanthropy.” – encapsulates their mission: stealing from high-end stores and selling the goods at discounted prices, acting as inner-city Robin Hoods of couture. They aim to disrupt the system, challenging the control exerted by figures like Christie Smith (Demi Moore), a branding genius who runs her fashion empire with an iron fist.
Riley masterfully blends genres, creating a stylized version of reality. The film feels like a collision of “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Set It Off,” and “Ghostbusters,” all filtered through Riley’s unique lens. The chemistry between Palmer, Ackie, and Paige is electric, drawing the audience into their world even as the narrative veers into increasingly fantastical territory.
From Street-Level Rebellion to Reality-Hopping Chaos
A droll cameo from Don Cheadle as a motivational speaker-turned-pyramid-scheme hustler underscores the film’s critique of money culture. Boosting is presented as an act of insurrection, though the Velvet Gang initially operates in a surprisingly lax security environment. However, the film takes a sharp turn when Jianpu (Poppy Liu) enters the scene, possessing the ability to teleport clothes out of stores in seconds. This introduces a “situational accelerator” – a device that amplifies reality – and propels the film into the realm of reality-hopping, reminiscent of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
The film doesn’t shy away from the absurd. Sade’s encounter with a serpent demon (LaKeith Stanfield) in a nightclub is a prime example. The second half of the film dives into a satirical exploration of global capitalism, featuring a Chinese sweatshop revolt and a critique of our obsession with fashion icons like Christie Smith, whose literally tilted apartment symbolizes the distorted values of the industry. Demi Moore delivers a brilliantly comedic performance, proving her recent success in “The Substance” wasn’t a fluke.
By the climax, “I Love Boosters” goes full gonzo, with corporate suits losing their skin and a giant rolling ball of money representing Corvette’s anxieties. While not always perfectly cohesive, the film’s disarming sense of play and Riley’s unwavering enthusiasm hold the street-smart, meta-rebellion fantasy together. It’s a film that embraces its own wildness, and invites the audience to do the same. Read more at Variety.
