‘I Love Boosters’ Review – Boots Riley’s Outrageous, Spectacular Sophomore Feature

It is rare to see a filmmaker create a piece of art that is so singular, it feels almost indescribable. That presents a daunting task for any critic to take on the task of articulating the magic that they have just witnessed. Such is the case with Boots Riley’s sophomore feature, I Love Boosters. Coming off the heels of the brilliant Sorry to Bother You and the revered miniseries I’m a Virgo, Riley continues his call-to-action approach to storytelling designed to embolden his audience to demand change within our class divide while immersing them in a sensory overload of awesome.

Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomi Ackie), and Mariah (Taylour Paige) run a business selling a vast collection of expensive fashion items at an affordable rate for their community. They obtain the goods through taking them directly from the mega-popular Metro Design stores, owned by a renowned, yet controversial designer, Christie Smith (Demi Moore). The rebellious project, given the fun branding of “Fashion Forward Filanthrophy,” lands an easy target by Christie. She frequently slams the boosters through vulgar statements in news interviews and social media posts. As the women encounter hurdles in their community service, they meet a wild cast of characters that open their minds to the corruption within Christie’s company, both at her stores and the factory where her merchandise is made.

Boots Riley hurls every galaxy-brained idea he has at the screen with joyous glee. Every frame has a candy-colored controlled chaos that in less capable hands could have spiralled into something incoherent. For some viewers, this dizzying aesthetic may prove too ambitious. However, those willing to give themselves over to his gonzo visuals will be stunned by the creativity on display. His collaboration with production designer Christopher Glass and costume designer Shirley Kurata brings to life a vision of the world that feels ripped out of a Dr. Seuss book. From the Metro Design stores that frequently change their entire interior to have one single color to Christie’s office that is at a slanted angle, every location is eye-catching. This is all accompanied by a bouncy score composed by Tune-Yards that instantly becomes an earworm from the main theme that plays over the opening credits.

Keke Palmer serves as a strong anchor for I Love Boosters. Her natural charisma and personality makes for a great match with Corvette’s no-nonsense attitude while letting glimpses of optimism shine through her hardened exterior. Her performance pairs very well with her fantastic role in Jordan Peele’s Nope. Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige lean more on the comedic side of the core group, but their characters are always driven by the cause and stop at nothing to lift each other up.

Beyond the main trio, the rest of the ensemble are so playful with their eccentric roles. Demi Moore portrays Christie Smith as an intimidating adversary to the boosters while serving as a hilariously authentic depiction of out-of-touch . Poppy Liu plays Jainhu, a factory worker who teams up with the boosters to make the public aware of the harsh working conditions behind Metro Design’s products. Her means of retribution start mysterious then grow more insane as the story processes. On the store front, Eiza González fully lets loose as Violeta, an employee that’s drawn to the boosters and believes their disruption can help pave the way for pay equity at Metro Design. Will Poulter is delightfully unserious in his role as Violeta’s manager, Grayson. He coasts through his job with utter incompetence, aloof to the negative impacts of the company, leading to some of the film’s biggest laughs.

As if I Love Boosters couldn’t be any more crazy, there are two mysterious characters that, on the surface, seem completely disconnected from the rest of the narrative. Don Cheadle is unrecognizable as Dr. Jack, not just through the phenomenal makeup work but also with his hysterical high-pitched voice. Then there’s Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You lead, Lakeith Stanfield, as Pinky Ring Guy. All that needs to be said of this character’s role in the story is that the less known about him, the better. His scenes are among the funniest of any movie so far this year.

With I Love Boosters, Boots Riley dares to challenge what films can look like and what impact they can leave on the world. His ferocious, scathing takedown of our capitalist society comes from a place of deep care for the people who are left the most harmed. His film constantly reinvents itself, breaking free from the confines many filmmakers might find themselves in. The end result is precisely as messy as the real world fight for social justice, and that is said with love.

I Love Boosters will debut exclusively in theaters on May 22, 2026, courtesy of NEON.