First impressions are important, whether it’s on a first date or in an interview for a job. In director Boots Riley’s case, it’s important for his directorial debut to be something to remember, and his first feature film in “Sorry to Bother You” is definitely one to remember. Widely regarded by many as one of the best films of the year, “Sorry to Bother You” definitely takes you on a journey like never before, with an ambitious, creative, and bold direction and story that’ll leave you thinking for months or even years after leaving the theater.
In an alternate reality, the nefarious corporation WorryFree, run by CEO Steve Lift (Armie Hammer) runs the world market with its offering of a cheap labor force for companies all over, most of them not knowing that this labor force consists of “wage slaves.” Cassius “Cash” Green (Lakeith Stanfield) is your typical Oakland citizen living in his uncle’s (Terry Crews) with his rebellious and artistic girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) as well as looking for a simple job. When he gets a job as a telemarketer, and after numerous failures in the profession, a cubicle neighbor of his (Danny Glover) gives him some advice: to utilize his “white voice,” which is voiced by David Cross. As Cash continues to go up the corporate ladder, he soon finds out that there’s more going on behind the scenes than he realizes, and what he uncovers will change him forever.
If you read that summary and assumed that’s basically what the movie is about, then you haven’t the faintest idea of what’s in store for you. Boots Riley goes out of his way to tell this story from every possible angle he could muster, and for the most part achieves in creating something outlandishly daring and riveting. Acting as a sociological, political, and corporate satire, “Sorry to Bother You” is designed to multitask and confront a number of topics worthy of commentary, including corruption in corporate America, racial prejudice and stereotypical assumptions, the insanity of viral fame and marketing, the denomination of the African-American work force, our overconsumption of digital media, and so much more.
Boots Riley manages to examine every one of these social topics with precision and charm as well as inserting an extra bit of dark comedy as well as energetic thrills and twists that’ll leave you completely flabbergasted and questioning what you just saw (wait towards the third act and you’ll see what I mean). Riley is willing to go even further with his storytelling by infusing story beats and plot lines that are completely out-of-left-field as well as changing the scenery completely. I think that’s the point in the movie that’ll decide whether you’ll like it or not.
Unfortunately, I do think this ambitious storytelling is also a hindrance for the film. I do think the film could’ve definitely been shortened by about 20 minutes or so and it also suffers from try to examine too much at once. As a stated with the above topics explored in the movie, there are too many to cover in this review and I feel that’s a bit of an issue. Even after having seen it days ago, I still can’t process what exactly I watched. Riley tries to tell so much in his first film and ultimately doesn’t quite go the distance, resulting in somewhat of a mess of a story. It’s not terrible, but it could’ve been shaved down a little.
Many will compare “Sorry to Bother You” to last year’s juggernaut thriller “Get Out.” Where I think “Get Out” succeeds in its commentary and examination of social issues is that it’s much more focused, streamlined, and fluid, making it incredibly simple to watch as well as deliciously filled with clever dialogue, foreshadowing, imagery, and story beats. In “Sorry to Bother You,” Riley tries to examine too much and unfortunately leads to a story that jumbles quite a bit and doesn’t have that cohesiveness found in “Get Out.”
The story also benefits this examination by moving at a brisk, riveting pace with a cynical nature to it that perfectly blends in with its narrative and purpose as a sort-of anti-capitalist propaganda piece. The cleverly cynical dialogue as well as the charming and brilliant cast further contribute to the film’s unique perspective. Lakeith Stanfield proves to be a clever dark comedian who provides a bit of humanity to the already twisted narrative while Tessa Thompson continues to prove why she’s a rising star who should be sought after, from her role as Bianca in 2015’s “Creed” to her role as Valkyrie in 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” Everyone else including Steven Yeun, Armie Hammer, and Danny Glover also bring about the humor and commentary necessary to tell this kind of story and all fit perfectly in the narrative.
Overall, “Sorry to Bother You” is a journey like no other. Boots Riley brings a unique perspective on our culture today by going in a daring, adventurous, and bold new direction in storytelling. Despite noticeable issues in its structure, it still has that persistence and energy that grabs you and never lets you go. “Sorry to Bother You” is not for everyone, but if you want an experience in the movie theater that you will likely never find anywhere else, then you should give this film a chance. Whether you like it or not, it absolutely deserves that at the very least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XthLQZWIshQ&t=1s&w=585