“This Is Telemarketing. We’re Not Mapping the Fucking Human Genome Here. I Don’t Care if You Have Experience for This… I’ll Hire Damn Near Anyone.” – Anderson

Full of surprises and thoroughly embracing its weirdness at every turn, the 2018 social satire Sorry to Bother You serves as a fantastically refreshing flick that announces writer-director Boots Riley as a radical upcoming voice in the realm of cinema. Harbouring a captivating premise, memorable characters (both benign and despicable) and dialogue that is both snappy and humourous, Sorry to Bother You is a stylish indictment of capitalism, consumerism and cultural appropriation, all executed in a rather unconventional fashion that will likely cause some audience members to lose interest.

Plot Summary: In an alternate, present-day version of Oakland, bumbling jobseeker Cassius Green acquires a low-level position at a telemarketing firm, only to find it a dispiriting struggle as a Black man selling to predominately White customers. But, when a telemarketing veteran advises him to use his “White Voice” to make himself more appealing to potential buyers, that all changes. Now, with his newfound talent, Cassius thrives in his profession, soon being promoted to a “Power Caller,” peddling morally abhorrent yet incredibly lucrative services as he further climbs the corporate ladder…

As you might expect from its introduction, there are a lot of big ideas in Sorry to Bother You, from the power of influence ravenous corporations possess to the dehumanisation of human labour and how they are both inextricably tied to everyday racism, Sorry to Bother You juggles an assortment of relevant, weighty and thought-provoking themes. Still, the film is far from your standard social commentary, but rather a raucous, surreal mockery that remains outlandish until its last few minutes, especially regarding one particular aspect of its narrative, which could be considered a step too far into absurdity for some.

Originally, famed actor and musician Donald Glover was penned for the lead role of Cassius Green, but was ultimately unable to assume the role due to scheduling conflicts with 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Instead, Glove recommended his co-star LaKeith Stanfield from the comedy-drama television series; Atlanta, for the role. Thankfully, Stanfield holds his own as Cassius, portraying a goofy klutz who lives in his uncle’s garage, lacks conviction and often suffers from existential anxiety, frequently fretting about the sun exploding and his life bearing no significance, much to the displeasure of his activist and performance artist girlfriend, Detroit, equally well-portrayed by Tessa Thompson. Moreover, despite Cassius’ many sordid acts throughout the runtime, you never stop rooting for him on account of Stanfield’s charm, even when he’s led into making vile choices purely on his desire for more money and success, making for an entertaining character arc aided by repeatedly witty dialogue.

Aesthetically, Sorry to Bother You is just as crazed as its zany tone, with visual diversions regularly transpiring from an early sequence where Cassius converses with potential buyers over the phone before he quite literally (and creatively) crashes into their lives with his desk. Occasionally, however, these off-the-wall stylistic choices can become a little too much and hard to keep up with, with even the lustrous colour palette and cinematography by Doug Emmett being constantly vibrant and energised.

Composed by the indie art pop band, Tune-Yards, Sorry to Bother You‘s original score largely consists of bouncy techno tracks that effectively lend themselves to the film’s peculiar style, namely via tracks like Transformative Experience. On top of the original score, the film also features a variety of songs from Boots Riley himself, as Riley was previously the lead vocalist of the hip-hop group, The Coup, during which time the band produced the identically-named album; Sorry to Bother You, which he then implemented into the film, presumably for its shared title.

Spoilers ahead in this section for those who wish to go in blind, but near the end of the runtime, Cassius’ conscience arises anew as he finds himself amid his boss’ morally bankrupt world of condescending decadence and his sinister plan to create a subservient, mutated workforce, these oddball, horse-like creatures, known as the “Equisapiens,” are impressively brought to life via practical effects, with the suit and animatronic headpieces being built and designed by Amalgamated Dynamics (ADI), well-known for creating effects for sci-fi blockbusters, such as Tremors (1990), Evolution (2001) and Alien vs. Predator (2004), among many others. Interestingly, while numerous headpieces, hair patches and tattoos were employed to visually differentiate the myriad of Equisapiens, only a single suit was utilised and modified across scenes as puppeteers operated the headpieces, including one operator solely for the eyes. Whilst some may find this plot deviation ludicrous, truthfully, I feel it works in the film’s favour, given it comically plays into the notion of money-hungry higher-ups employing any method they can to increase profits and reduce labour costs.

In summary, Sorry to Bother You is a bonkers film that handles its many underlying themes with great care in spite of its lasting strangeness and general lack of subtlety. Thanks to its endless inventiveness and impressive lead performance from LaKeith Stanfield, lending his acting dexterities to a well-defined character that is equal parts endearing and loathsome, Sorry to Bother You is a distinctive flick that not only succeeds in what it’s trying to do, but also functions as a flag being unapologetically planted by its filmmaker, not only in the film industry, but in all of the industries its screenplay repeatedly ridicules and scrutinises. Rating: low 8/10.