I Love Boosters Review: Boots Riley’s Wildest Film Yet Might Already Be a Cult Classic

Boots Riley’s sophomore film, I Love Boosters, is finally out, and opinions are definitely mixed. As someone who went into the movie without having seen any of Riley’s previous work, I walked away with mixed feelings myself.

Spoilers ahead.

The trailer had me excited for a comedy centered around the Velvet Gang, a group of female boosters who regularly shoplift from Metro Designers, a fashion chain run by Christie Smith. The Velvet Gang takes things one step further by becoming employees at Metro Designers as part of an elaborate plan to steal the store’s entire inventory. However, before they can pull it off, someone beats them to the punch. Enter Jianpu, a booster from China who uses teleportation technology to empty an entire store in under a minute. The four boosters eventually join forces for the ultimate takedown of Metro Designers, a mission that ultimately ties back to exposing and addressing the harsh working conditions and greed within the fashion industry.

The chemistry between Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Demi Singleton Paige was undeniable, and they definitely had me laughing throughout the film. Add Poppy Liu to the mix, and the group makes for a fantastic ensemble. The comedy and high-energy chaos teased in the trailer delivered. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, were the sci-fi and magical realism elements woven into the story. I definitely found myself muttering, “What is going on?” more than once. The soul-sucking demon character, for example, left me completely confused, and by the end of the film, scenes involving the removal of the characters’ skin had me more unsettled than entertained. There was so much happening in the final act that it became difficult to focus on any one storyline.

Maximalism is very much the name of the game here. From the bright visuals to the eye-catching fashion, the film embraces excess in every possible way and that extends to the plot itself. In fact, the visuals were my favorite part of the movie. So many films today lean into moody lighting and muted color palettes, but I Love Boosters goes in the opposite direction. It was refreshing to see so much color, texture, pattern, and personality on screen.

While I can understand why some viewers absolutely loved the film and are already calling it a future camp cult classic, I can also understand why others walked out of the theater. In my opinion, the movie was slightly misadvertised which may be why it’s already being pulled from a lot of theatres. If advertised as more of a camp movie and not a comedy/heist movie I believe it would have reached a better audience. Audiences who are unfamiliar with Boots’ work should do some research on his style and I wish I would have done the same. While I definitely appreciate it and am glad I saw the movie, I’m unsure if it’s one I’ll be revisiting anytime soon.

What did you think?

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