These days, film usually has to fit a certain mold. Horror movies follow certain formulas or tropes. It’s the same with science fiction or political dramas. Every now and then, something truly special comes along and says, “Nope…I’m doing something different.” And the film world is usually the better for it.
Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You is a film that refuses to conform and the result is one of the best films of 2018. This often scathing satire uses surreal storytelling that borrows from several genres to create a hilarious but always relevant criticism of our world. Behind the crazy visuals and twists, Riley manages brilliantly skewer the divided society we live in.
This is one of the most uniquely rewarding films of the past few years.
“Cash, I’m Gonna Make You a Proposal”
That’s not to say Sorry to Bother You doesn’t have a classic story structure. It just throws some fun twists into that structure.
In a strange but familiar version of Oakland, California, Cassius “Cash” Green (Lakeith Stanfield), an every man (of color) that finally lands a job as a telemarketer. It’s a soul crushing experience with low pay and Cash must sell to predominately white customers. On the advice of a veteran salesman, Cash discovers his “white voice” and his career takes off. But as his star rises, his coworkers try to form a union and his understandable desire for financial security comes into conflict with not only his coworkers, but with his relationship with Detroit (Tessa Thompson), the love of his life. His journey leads him down a strange rabbit hole of corporate corruption, viral embarrassment, and strange mutations that awaken his conscience.
It’s best to walk into Sorry to Bother You with as little information as possible, so I’ll stop there. This film takes so many crazy turns that you will barely be able to keep up…and that’s part of the excitement. There’s a picture of one of Cash’s idols that literally changes with every turn his career takes. There’s a television show that features people getting their asses kicked on national television. An elevator discourages masturbation. The world is also full of vibrant colors and quirky cinematography that adds to the fantastic setting. All of it is nuts and entertaining, drawing you in with its often hilarious humor that relies more on timing, great one liners, and fantasy rather than broad, over the top slapstick (Although there is some of that).
And that’s Sorry to Bother You’s ultimate brilliance. The film draws its audience in with its often entertainingly bonkers world, but all of it has basis in the real world. Racism is still a very real problem, alongside a gap between the rich and poor. Placing the film in Northern California’s Bay Area is no accident; its a place where the cost of living and housing has skyrocketed.
While the plight of Sorry Not To Bother You’s world is often obvious, the film points out how the general public is often willfully blind to it, preferring to be distracted by the latest viral video or ridiculous corporate speak. And masturbation in elevators really is a serious issue.
Okay, that last one isn’t that big an issue, but you get the point. This fantasy world isn’t so fantastic.
Cash’s bizarre boss Steve Lift’s (Armie Hammer) ultimate plan for his workers literally comes out of nowhere and may lose some viewers. But as off the wall as Lift’s plan is, it will make sense when one thinks of how far corporations will go to exploit their workers.
“Don’t Listen to What I Say. Listen to What I Want.”
Sometimes satires or political fables suffer from thin characters. While Sorry to Bother You doesn’t have the deepest, most multifaceted characters that contemplate the agony of existence, it does feature a quirky and incredibly charming cast that is predominantly made up of people of color. Lakeith Stanfield makes a great protagonist with a quirky awkwardness that makes him very charming. His journey is also relatable…who among us hasn’t struggled choosing between money and our conscience?
But the standout here is Tessa Thompson as performance artist Detroit. She commands the screen every time she shows up, exuding charm and a sense of trouble as well. She is probably the most well rounded character, an idealist that often doesn’t realize her own contradictions. She chastises Cash for his white voice…but she uses one too. Thompson balances this character’s traits well.
It’s great to see Steven Yuen, an Asian American actor, portraying a non-stereotypical character. Asians have always struggled with the “Model Minority” image, so it’s great to see Yuen play Squeeze, a radical who starts the union talk at Cash’s job. Like Detroit, the character never questions his ideals and serves as the film’s conscience. Plus, he gets one of the funniest jokes in the film…watch for his speech at a union rally.
The rest of the cast is great, with the aforementioned Hammer is his usual charismatic self as the corrupt Lift, happily chewing the scenery in the most entertaining way possible. You may want to see more of the character, but the film uses him in just the right amounts…anymore and it might get annoying. On the other hand, it feels like Danny Glover, who plays the veteran that tells Cash to use a white voice, is a little underused. He looks like he is having a ball in his small role. Omari Hardwick is fun as Mr. _______, the black head of Cash’s “power caller” office who shares a talent for using a “white voice.” Speaking of Cash’s “white voice,” David Cross has a talent for having the whitest voice ever…and that is meant in the best way possible.
But there is a powerful message throwing these strange characters together. In the conflict between the haves and the have nots, there are no bystanders. Cash’s journey is one everyone struggles with, now more than ever.
“This Place is F***ing Nuts”
Sorry to Bother You could easily be dismissed as too crazy for mainstream audiences. It’s genre bending world and heavy message might be too much in a different time. But these are trying times and this should be a film that everyone should see. Not only is it a great piece of cinema that should be applauded for its unique storytelling, it’s a relevant reflection of our times.
Go and see it.
SCORE: 10 OUT OF 10