Go SeeThis Movie:

My lips are chewed raw as an effect of my intense apprehension while watching Boot’s Riley’s Sorry To Bother You. It’s difficult to look away from this beautiful trainwreck: a struggling man joins a telemarketing agency in hopes to provide for himself and his fiance. He quickly works his way to the top by stripping away his black identity, before finding the levels of corruption were far more evil and outrageous than his coked-out mind could ever comprehend. Sorry To Bother You is an absurdist magical realist film that comments on our society’s abuse through corporate capitalism by the exploitation of the working class, specifically those that are people of color.

It’s impossible, for me at least, to write a good or even proper review of Sorry To Bother You after only one viewing under my belt. Trying to put my thoughts into words over this movie is proving quite useless, so I’m leaving you with a few observations that I hope somewhat make sense. The comments on corruption, identity, race, etc. run so plentiful and subtle I’m sure I’ve picked up on only a quarter of them at this point. Many have said this movie is trying to do too much both visually and metaphorically, but I disagree. I think because of the genre it sits in, the movie doesn’t go overboard in references or implicit meaning, it’s just maximalist. A film like this demands you to think about it through a deeper lens. It isn’t something you see everyday.

The movie stars the sublime Lakeith Stanfield as Cassius “Cash” Green alongside Tessa Thompson who plays Detroit (her parents wanted her to have an American name). The two work great in portraying a true relationship, built on mutual respect and ambition- that is until Cash chooses his own success over his loved ones. Even though audience members tend to automatically consider Cash’s decisions as morally wrong, Riley makes a point in portraying well-rounded characters that allow all perspectives to be seen. Cash wanted nothing more than to feel purposeful, to have a reason to wake up in the morning, similar to Detroit’s calling for her artwork. He utters these concerns and frustrations constantly, comparing himself to the graduated high school football players that still wear their uniforms. Once Cash realizes that using a “white voice” allows his calls to be successful (courtesy of Danny Glover’s character Langston), he quickly gets promoted to be a “Power Caller” amidst an office union protest, causing him to feel conflicted. While sitting in the office, Cash imagines seeing the football players huddled around his bosses desk, causing him to instantly accept the new position. This type of directorial nuance allows the narrative to flourish by unlocking the thoughts that drive the character’s actions forward, as well as create a stronger relationship between the screen and the viewer.

Cash’s friends are very concerned and taken aback by his knack for summoning his “white voice,” so much so that Detroit calls him out on it for disturbing her. However, when it comes time for her art performance, she speaks in a tone of voice that clearly isn’t her usual sound. Her hypocrisy is brought to the forefront, showing how both Cash and Detroit are willing to assimilate their true personas in order to prosper in their respective fields. The major components of race that are introduced in the film are brought up to comment on the struggle of identity of being a person of color in America and how [white] people of power either diminish or exploit these qualities to work for their own gain. One of the most difficult scenes of the film to watch is one in which Cash is asked to rap for the elite guests of tyrant Steve Lift (Armie Hammer)’s weird, sexual house party. At this point Cash has just been told he is allowed to talk in his normal voice and asked if he’d “killed anyone in the streets” before being propped up as a puppet performer. Cash stumbles trying to freestyle before realizing the crowd just wants him to yell the words “n*gga shit” over the loudspeaker. The scene lasts less than a minute, but watching the sea of white people chant the words in unison alongside Cash is painful to say the least. The moment shows how the stereotypes of black people are feared and suppressed by whites in power until said black person “proves” themselves, then the same qualities are abused for entertainment factor.

Any spoilers mentioned have been light, I promise I couldn’t reveal everything about the film even if I attached the entire screenplay. If you want something to sit and wrap your head around, see this movie. It’s one hell of a distraction and just the opposite all at once.