Who’s ready for some comedy, romance, fantasy, and social satire? Great, because you’ve got Sorry to Bother You coming soon, a film that’s weird enough to try for all of that.
This peppy fever dream comes from the mind of Boots Riley, a rapper-turned- writer/director making his feature debut. That’s not the usual path to the director’s chair, but considering Riley has been in the politically conscious wing of the entertainment industry for decades, it’s unsurprising to see him jump at the new avenues opening up.
Even from the trailer, you can see that Riley has something to say here. A black man cashing in at a shady business by using a white voice brings up a multitude of talking points, but it’s not just the dense story that’s appealing here. Riley is applying an unmissable style to the proceedings, with sets collapsing into one another and more subtle flecks of fantasy hanging in the background. It’s an ambitious outing for a first-time filmmaker, and it will be interesting to see if he can hold it all together.
The word out of Sundance, where the film had its premiere, was overwhelmingly positive for both Riley and the film’s impressive cast. Actors we aren’t used to seeing in this sort of material are seemingly all over the place, with the skyrocketing Lakeith Stanfield (Crown Heights, Get Out) at the forefront. Stanfield most commonly plays dour roles, and it’s exciting to see him bust out some broad energy at this point in his career.
The film also gives Tessa Thompson a chance to expand on her oddball (but great) performance in Thor: Ragnarok, and it looks like Armie Hammer gets a knowingly silly role that has me reminiscing about The Man From U.N.C.L.E. And yeah, you also saw Steven Yeun, Terry Crews, and Danny Glover, because why the hell not?
This film packed on the crazy fun, so it’ll probably be worth sitting back and enjoying it.
Sorry to Bother You is directed by Boots Riley and stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, and Armie Hammer. It will be released in the US on July 6th, 2018. Further release dates are not currently known.
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