It’s been eight years since the maverick musician/writer/director Boots Riley established himself as a fresh voice in the film industry with 2018’s Sorry to Bother You, a genre-defying, satirical tale of a Black telemarketer who climbs the corporate ladder after discovering how to use his “white voice.” Remembered for its absurdist critique of late-stage capitalism and its heightened portrayal of Oakland, California, Sorry to Bother You has been celebrated as one of the defining modern films of the last decade. Naturally, after a detour into television, creating I’m a Virgo for Prime Video, fans have been eagerly anticipating Riley’s sophomore feature, I Love Boosters (2026).
Sharing its name with a song by Riley’s hip-hop band The Coup, I Love Boosters centers on The Velvet Gang. The group of women has perfected boosting, or “professional shoplifting” — the act of stealing expensive clothing and reselling it to the general public at affordable prices. Their means of survival turns into acts of protest when the boosters’ leader/aspiring designer, Corvette (Keke Palmer), finds her concepts plagiarized by Christie Smith (Demi Moore), a morally rotted high fashion mogul (and Corvette’s personal artistic hero, it’s complicated). To reveal any more about the movie would spoil the fun; like Sorry to Bother You, Riley’s second film goes delightfully off the rails, but without compromising its message.
Boots Riley Expands on His Surrealist Vision of Oakland
There’s something especially thrilling about a sophomore effort from a new breakout director. A debut film is typically a statement of intent for a filmmaker’s career, precise and laser-focused in its themes. The follow-up feature, in comparison, tends to be larger-scale, more ambitious, and experimental. Sophomore films often embody these qualities to a fault, resulting in a messier narrative with less broad appeal. I Love Boosters checks all of these boxes and then some. If you’re particularly a fan of the way Boots Riley mythologized and satirized Oakland and the Bay Area in his other projects, then you will surely find a lot to love about I Love Boosters.
Courtesy of Neon
Less adventurous audiences may be turned off by the twists and turns of Riley’s script, but in an era when so many films are flimsily written and lacking in ideas, the unhinged absurdity of I Love Boosters is refreshing. Riley lets his imagination run wild, and every frame of the movie is bursting with color, humor, and complexity. The bold visuals properly match the screenplay’s energy. Costume designers Shirley Kurata and Lindsey Hartman bring their A-game, delivering plenty of memorable, eye-catching looks for the ensemble from scene to scene. Cinematographer Natasha Braier (The Neon Demon) creates a dream-like atmosphere that suits the story perfectly, with flourishes such as a hypnotic in-camera effect whenever LaKeith Stanfield gazes towards the screen.
Keke Palmer Leads a Powerhouse Female Ensemble
Keke Palmer (One of Them Days, Nope) departs from the effortless wit she’s known for. She instead approaches Corvette as a woman who is still figuring out her values. Not that anyone needs to be convinced, but Palmer displays so much depth in I Love Boosters, making it one of her most exciting roles as of late. Her dynamic with Oscar-nominee Demi Moore (The Substance) is a highlight. Though these women hold opposite values, Corvette’s passion for the art of fashion is unquestionably indebted to Christie Smith’s career in haute couture. Corvette’s reckoning with idolizing someone on the opposite end of a hierarchical power structure is fascinating and all too relatable to young artists of color.
Courtesy of Neon
Although Corvette takes the lead, she is supported by a powerhouse cast of lovely ladies in I Love Boosters. They might not all share the same depth as Corvette, but watching Naomi Ackie (Mickey 17), Taylour Paige (Welcome to Derry), Poppy Liu (Hacks), and Eiza González (Ash) bounce off Palmer is endlessly entertaining. Plus, they all get their respective moments to shine in the movie. Ackie’s Sade and Paige’s Mariah represent the group’s reliance on each other for community, while González’s Violeta and Liu’s Jianhu inspire the rebellious spark within the Velvet Gang. The two groups are the yin and yang of the film’s portrayal of female friendship, both as a tool for survival and political power.
Boots Riley Directs His Second Movie Like It’s His Last
I Love Boosters is constantly throwing everything at the wall, and Boots Riley is directing this film as if it will be his last. There is a detour into stop-motion animation, a metaphorical rolling boulder of debt, a soul-sucking cunnilingus demon representing the pitfalls of romantic intimacy, and a vital plot device involving a highly specific science-fiction concept explained in a stoner monologue by Eiza González. I Love Boosters is a Robin Hood tale of unionization, self-actualization, ethics and morality, and the contradictions of being alive. Above all else, it is a movie about the human condition under late-stage capitalism.
courtesy of Neon
This is the apex of the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to storytelling, so it’s understandable that some viewers might walk away from the film underwhelmed, citing a lack of focus. Be that as it may, if you manage to find yourself on its wavelength, Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters feels like everything you would want and more from an ambitious sophomore feature from the writer-director of Sorry to Bother You. It’s hard to imagine this movie making the same impact as Riley’s debut smash hit. But regardless of whether it works for you, it cements Riley as one of Hollywood’s most imaginative and daring filmmakers working today.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I Love Boosters hits theaters on May 22!
Release Date: May 22, 2026!
Directed by Boots Riley.
Written by Boots Riley.
Produced by Boots Riley, Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, & Jon Read.
Executive Producers: Keke Palmer, Sharon Palmer, Megan Ellison, Ken Kao, Jeff Deutchman, Matthew Medlin, Michael Jackman, Gus Deardoff, Ryan Friscia, Josh Rosenbaum, Emily Thomas, & Claire Timmons.
Main Cast: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Demi Moore, Don Cheadle, Najah Bradley, Jason Ritter, Eric André, Adam DeVine, Kara Young, Kerris Dorsey, Kate Berlant, Viggo Mortensen, & Jermaine Fowler.
Cinematographer: Natasha Braier.
Music by Tune-Yards.
Editors: Matthew Hannam & Terel Gibson.
Production Companies: Ryder Picture Company, Annapurna Pictures, & Savage Rose Films.
Distributors: Neon (North America) & Focus Features/Universal Pictures (International).
Runtime: 113 minutes.
Rated R.
