I Love Boosters
Rating: 4.5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
Screened at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Boots Riley's work. I can talk for hours about his feature length directorial debut Sorry to Bother You, and I love these absurd worlds he creates and gets to play around with. Therefore, when I Love Boosters was announced as the opening night film for the SXSW Film Festival this year, I was stoked to see what Riley was going to do with this new picture. Paired with a stellar cast that includes the likes of Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Demi Moore, I knew this was going to be a fun time from beginning to end. Not only did Riley deliver on the promise that this was going to be an insane and fun ride from beginning to end, but this film shows how bizarre Riley can go in his pictures, presenting a movie that is genuinely unlike anything you have ever seen before.
The film defines the term of a "booster" as "someone who steals clothes from a store and sells them at a discount price, aka community service". This is the scheme that Corvette (Palmer) and her friends Sade (Ackie) and Mariah (Paige) run. They have been doing this for quite some time now, and decide to start targeting the store owned by fashion designer Christie Smith (Moore) after she starts talking negatively against the female-led group in the press. What starts as shoplifting to resell these clothes then turns into a crazy fight against this fashion mogul that brings in numerous shocking twists and surprises that will constantly keep the viewer scratching their head in both wonder and confusion.
If you have seen any of Riley's other work, you know how crazy his films are. I mean, Sorry to Bother You had horse-human hybrids and bizarre ways in which Black people were able to change their voices to make them sound more appealing to a white person. Riley definitely has something to say in his films, and he goes about it in the most unique ways to not only entertain the audience, but to allow this message to stick in the viewer's head and become instantly recognizable. I Love Boosters is no exception, and there is no doubt this film is crazier and weirder than his previous film. For me, I absolutely adored how he pushed it a level (or perhaps levels) further, and every single frame of this film is marvelously bizarre and out-there. That is his style and what works best for him, and it is perfectly evident throughout this film here.
On a story level, and we'll get into more of a complaint I have in a moment, Riley brings the audience into this world of shoplifting and class struggle with these mythical elements sprinkled throughout. There is no doubt the message here is to criticize the struggles that lower to middle class people go through and how these higher-class people take those that they deem "lesser-than" for granted. A major example of this is when Corvette has to run as fast as she can to make it back for her 30-SECOND LUNCH! I think he presents a very thought-provoking piece on how the rich treat those who have less money than them, and what I love so much about Riley's films is that they are unflinchingly explicit in how he feels about certain topics. He doesn't shy away from anything that may feel taboo and he goes for it.
However, with that being said, I think he tried a little too hard to put in so many elements that it kind of bogs down the film and convolute it. There were moments throughout this movie that I found myself wondering what the real reason he put this element in, and I was genuinely confused where he was going with this picture until everything is wrapped up in the final act. While I am pleased he was able to make it all work together, there is still a big part of me that is wondering why he added in all of these elements. The tone for this film changes numerous times, and it's so jarring and sudden that it could easily give the viewer whiplash. I'm sure that is what he was trying to go for for some reason, and I did enjoy these bizarre elements he added, but I still beg the question of whether or not all of these elements were necessary for the final act? A major example I want to bring up is a major aspect of Stanfield's character, who doesn't have a name. Was it funny? Of course. But necessary? I'm honestly not too sure.
However, for the performances here in this film, I have no complaints whatsoever. This ensemble cast consisting of Palmer, Stanfield, Ackie, Paige, Moore, Poppy Liu, Eiza Gonzalez, Will Poulter, and Don Cheadle are electric! Before the screening started, Riley came out to introduce the film and told us that this cast is spectacular, and they truly are. Palmer is absolutely amazing in the lead role, and every single performance follows that powerhouse energy that she has. All together, they work so wonderfully to craft this ensemble that is tons of fun to watch and allow the audience to fall in love with each and every character. I would totally watch this film numerous times based on just these performances alone.
I think I Love Boosters was a fantastic choice for the opening night film at the 2026 SXSW Festival, and this was such a fun crowd to watch it with. This movie deserves to be seen in a theater when it comes out later this year, and I think a lot of audiences will love it just as much as I did. Despite some of the criticisms I may have about this film, this picture just proves Riley's brilliance as a filmmaker and cements him as perhaps one of the most influential and powerful filmmakers of modern times.
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