Sorry to Bother You: Movie Review

Hip-Hop artist Boots Riley, from the Oakland based group, The Coup, makes his feature film debut as both writer and director of, “Sorry to Bother You”.  This is a no-holds-barred satire on today’s political and consumer climate that feels spot-on.  There is some true genius in Riley’s work and he is not holding back.  The problem is that “Sorry to Bother You” is a work of science fiction that lost me in the final act reveal.

Lakeith Stanfield (“Get Out”, “Atlanta”) shines bright at Cassius Green, a telemarketer that begins to shine at work, when he follows the advice of a co-worker to use his “white voice”. Once he is promoted to the higher level calling floor, he lets the success change him. New car, new apartment, new clothes.  In the meantime, his co-workers, friends and his girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) are protesting the telemarketing company.

I don’t want to go much further into the plot as doing so would reveal some of the twists in the story.  Riley has got some real talent and even though “Sorry to Bother You” didn’t work for me, it will work for others.  I just found it too scattershot, uneven and wore out its welcome by the mid-way point.

By: Marc Ferman