I Love Boosters SXSW Review: Keke Palmer Shines in Boots Riley’s Wild Comedy

I Love Boosters is a wild return from Boots Riley.

Having previously seen Boots Riley’s wild 2018 directorial debut, ‘Sorry to Bother You’, I was prepared to observe his filmic follow-up, ‘I Love Boosters’, with an “expect the unexpected” mentality. ‘I Love Boosters’ still managed to shock, surprise, and startle with its satire and dark comedy.

The Setup

In ‘I Love Boosters’, Corvette (Keke Palmer) and her close friends, Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige), are a group of shoplifters, or “boosters”, who steal from luxury designer stores in order to resell the merchandise for less. They consider what they do to be a community service, and eventually target a famous fashion designer, Christie Smith (Demi Moore).

While the premise is a great set-up for a crime comedy, you have to remember this is a Boots Riley joint, so nothing is off the table. Known for strong satire, black comedy, and some pure insanity, Riley sticks to his guns and takes audiences on a crazy journey.

Boots Riley’s Signature Style

Some of the style is displayed in what can only be described as a Looney Tunes-esque type of humor. We see life’s burdens of debt and responsibilities manifested as a giant ball ready to roll right over Corvette. Characters run in place in a cartoon fashion when trying to escape their captors. There’s a great gimmick to Christie Smith’s officers that I won’t spoil here, but it resulted in multiple laughs from a packed South by Southwest premiere audience.

Performances

Keke Palmer is a perfect actress to take on Riley’s material, and from the opening scene, it’s clear that she understands the assignment. A large ensemble cast also includes memorable performances from Eiza Gonzalez, Poppy Liu, Will Poulter, and LaKeith Stanfield, with Gonzalez in particular seemingly having a great time as the resident stoner turned booster.

When the Film Goes Off the Rails

When the story really starts to go off the rails, it throws a lot at the audience. While a lot of this is effective, some of it begins to feel overpacked and even unstable at times. White is certainly never dull; it’s a picture that absolutely leaves your head spinning.

Riley is clearly someone with vision, and it’s just so darn fun to see it realized. There’s even some incredible stop-motion animation utilized in the film to great effect.

Verdict

Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ is a chaotic cascade of black comedy and satire on consumerism and the fashion industry. General audiences may find the film to be disorienting, although it’s nevertheless always entertaining. Boots Riley continues to be a true artist, and I look forward to seeing what he puts out next.

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