I LOVE BOOSTERS
Starring: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore
Director: Boots Riley
NICK
Eight years after his ambitious debut, Sorry to Bother You, director Boots Riley returns with the equally ambitious I Love Boosters. Once again, Riley has presented a film filled with big risks and a lot to say. Bursting with dynamic colours, great visual gags, and a scathing commentary on capitalism, this film will be divisive, yet I consider it another triumph for the director. The trio of Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Taylour Paige utilize great comedic timing to execute Boots’ vision while the supporting cast, including LaKeith Stanfield and Demi Moore (in her first feature since The Substance) enhance the story to great effect.
ADRIANO
Writer/Director Boots Riley’s first film, Sorry to Bother You, is a film I hold in such high esteem that his second feature, I Love Boosters, was never going to live up to that. Even without that caveat, this film has a lack of concrete cohesion. Riley is throwing every idea at the wall and seeing what sticks, but there’s joy in watching a director do that, especially one this imaginative. This movie is jam-packed with bizarre concepts and fun filmmaking techniques (stop-motion?!), and with a cast so committed to his vision, Riley’s radical narrative and filmmaking choices remain a delight.
AMARÚ
Boots Riley is a weird dude and maybe the most interesting director in the industry. I Love Boosters takes his bright, vibrant, and revolutionary mind, plasters it everywhere, and attacks the ills of an all-too-capitalistic worldview. Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Demi Moore buy into his crazy for a ridiculously fun time that gets more intriguing as it goes. Combined with a quirky score and whimsical direction, it works to hilarious effect until the final 20 minutes. That's where all the wild ideas collapse atop each other and fall flat in their resolution. But swings like this are worth it to keep getting more.
BODE
With Sorry to Bother You, writer-director Boots Riley’s defiant go-for-broke mentality was so infectious that even though everything didn’t coalesce as well as it really could’ve (especially near the end), I still enjoyed watching how it all unfolded. His second feature, I Love Boosters, doubles down on all the maximalist instincts and anti-capitalism present in his debut. But while it may similarly bite off more than it can chew, its bevy of ideas come together more successfully this time around. Its hysterical gags, inventive filmmaking techniques, and extremely game cast only enhance the fun and timeliness of Riley’s radically gonzo vision. For me, this is a step-up.
