Hacky statement incoming: Boots Riley is a singular voice. It’s an overused phrase but in the current film landscape is it maybe no more apt than describing Boots.
His directorial debut Sorry to Bother You came out in 2018 after a prolific musical career starting in the ‘90s. Calling it a comedy feels restrictive as it ranges from horror to conspiracy thriller, with a distinct colorful visual flair, all the while offering anti-capitalist comedy and getting truly… out there. One potential complaint about Boots is that he has too many ideas so his work feels stuffed to the brim.
Now his sophomore feature I Love Boosters follows the same path. Premiering as the opening night film of SXSW 2026, it feels like a sibling to Boots’ debut – but one with a much larger bank account. It has the same mishmash of styles, it also goes… out there, but the visual flair this time is anchored by a much larger budget, allowing Boots’ world to be more richly populated.
Which ends up being important, as the movie uses the fashion industry as its backdrop. I Love Boosters follows Keke Palmer’s gang of professional shoplifters as she aspires to be a part of the industry in a creative fashion, with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. When one of her designs is stolen by her idol (Demi Moore), the gang decides to take on the queen and maybe even the whole industry.
The frenzied issues with Sorry to Bother You are still here in Boosters, but it’s hard to complain about a filmmaker having too many ideas. Boots doesn’t lack ambition: there are insane costumes, amazing sets, stop motion creatures, a car chase with miniatures, a soul vampire (???), and the anti-capitalist messaging he’s known for.
His increased budget enables him to not just put a lot of weight behind the visuals, but he also was able to assemble a massive cast of wonderful actors. Keke Palmer and Demi Moore are joined by Naomi Ackie, LaKeith Stanfield, Najah Bradley, Eiza González, Will Poulter, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, and a deranged Don Cheadle are all great. It’s a great ensemble and all of them feel locked in to Boots’ tone.
An early punchline sees a character screaming “this is not the time for nuance!” This ends up feeling like a thesis for how Boots approaches satire: he is unapologetically political and extremely blunt, but never loses the goal of being entertaining above all else. I Love Boosters is just that – sometimes messy, definitely overstuffed, but always entertaining and told with a clear, unique voice. We need voices like his at this time in filmmaking’s history.
