Film Review – I Love Boosters (2026)

      I Love Boosters, 2026.

      Written and Directed by Boots Riley.

      Starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, Demi Moore, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, Najah Bradley, Kara Young, Jason Ritter, Eric André, Kate Berlant, Adam Devine, Briana Starks, Alan Z, Nadia Dawn, Kasmere Trice Stanfield, Kerris Dorsey, Rachel Walters, and Rawan Tamimi.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A bold group of innovative young women transforms shoplifting into a form of radical protest. When their antics gain unwanted viral attention and their conflict with fashion mogul Christie Smith turns personal, the Boosters devise one last daring heist. Joined by unlikely allies with supernatural abilities and time-altering technology, they discover an opportunity to spark revolutionary change.

      Perhaps the best way to begin discussing writer/director Boots Riley’s second feature, I Love Boosters, is to focus on the filmmaker’s trademark: blunt metaphors that emerge from sheer absurdity and striking visuals. Anyone familiar with his first film, Sorry to Bother You, will recognize the challenge of articulating his work. Simply put, this film is another frenetic blend of ideas, merging elements from the fantastical to the surreal, incorporating live-action and stop-motion animation, all while critiquing capitalism within the fashion industry. Though it contains characters, their development often takes a backseat to a stylistic excess in pursuit of deeper meaning. In other words, even if not every aspect of the film aligns perfectly, Boots Riley has established himself as one of the most creative filmmakers active today.

      To illustrate: at one point, The Velvet Gang (the group of titular boosters who steal high-end clothing to resell at lower prices) acquires a sci-fi gadget with teleportation and other metaphysical abilities. Without clear explanation (not that I could provide one), it seems Boots Riley has inserted two or three scenes that exist solely to explore the device's other functions. During these moments, it feels like the audience is struggling to grasp a language slipping past them, rendering the effort seemingly futile. However, visually, what unfolds on screen communicates the gadget’s functionality far more effectively than any dialogue. This encapsulates the level of madness at play here.

      As for The Velvet Gang, they are somewhat led by Keke Palmer’s Corvette, who is isolated from society, eager to express herself through fashion, and slowly drawn into a rivalry with wealthy, merciless fashion icon Christie Smith (Demi Moore showcasing a villainous streak) after Christie allegedly steals one of her designs. The film then shifts to a surreal confrontation against capitalism, leaving little room for character development. Even the potential romantic interest (LaKeith Stanfield) has unspoken secrets that remain unexplained. Boots Riley also draws from his previous work; this time, instead of using a stereotypical calm white voice in a call center, Taylour Paige’s Mariah holds her breath until she nearly turns blue as she attempts to lighten her skin tone to avoid racist suspicions while stealing outfits.

      As the women start working at one of Christie’s stores to scout for opportunities, managed by an absurdly styled Will Poulter, who colors his hair to match the store's daily palette (providing excellent visual opportunities for Natasha Braler's stunning cinematography, making each scene vibrantly unique), it becomes evident that they’re not the only ones with grievances against the greedy corporation.

      Poppy Liu’s Jianpu enters first, determined to sabotage the business in retaliation for their negligence towards the life-threatening sandblasting at the factory in China, which affects her family. Her storyline is the closest I Love Boosters gets to having an emotional arc that feels straightforward and relatable. There is a mid-point conflict between Corvette and Naomi Ackie’s Sade about whether to opt for total revenge or sell Christie’s stolen goods, but by that stage, the film is so deeply entrenched in relentless genre-bending chaos that it hardly registers as meaningful. Co-worker Violeta (Eiza González) also gets involved, surprisingly possessing a great deal of scientific knowledge about the aforementioned gadgets.

      It’s also notable that part of the clothing involves a new line with absurdly high prices, even by industry standards. The outrageousness of this idea, born from Boots Riley's unique mind, is something I wouldn’t spoil, but it serves as an apt metaphor that recontextualizes portions of the film into a different medium entirely (the choice of stop-motion is fitting, as I can’t envision any other animation style successfully conveying this story).

      In an early scene, Corvette’s financial anxieties manifest as a growing ball of overdue notices, reminiscent of the video game Katamari Damacy. This visual representation encapsulates Boots Riley’s approach to idea generation; I Love Boosters continuously picks