I Love Boosters Film Review

I Love Boosters! It’s camp, it’s bold, and holding it all together is a powerful — and hilarious — ensemble cast, delivering a highly artistic message on socioeconomic issues in our society, created by the extraordinary mind of Boots Riley.

I Love Boosters follows Corvette (Keke Palmer), an aspiring fashion designer struggling to survive. Alongside her crew of neighborhood “boosters” — Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige) — Corvette steals luxury fashion and resells it at affordable prices to working-class communities. After ruthless fashion mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore) steals one of Corvette’s original designs, the proclaimed ‘Velvet Gang’ launches a series of heists to take down Christie’s empire. The chaos escalates when the crew crosses paths with Jianhu (Poppy Liu), an international worker carrying a reality-altering teleportation device, sending the film into a surreal, anti-capitalist heist filled with satire, absurdity, and rebellion against the fashion industry’s excess and its clinging to fast-fashion and the labour industry as a whole.

What better way to tackle such heavy topics than through comedy? Boots Riley keeps the audience consistently entertained without losing sight of the real-life struggles shaping the film’s core narrative. I Love Boosters balances absurdity and satire with lived commentary on class inequality, worker exploitation, and survival under capitalism.

Keke Palmer lavishly returns to her comedic element as Corvette, delivering a standout performance as a resilient hustler adapting to survive under the crushing pressures of life. Palmer and her costars balance the hard realities faced by people of color across the labour industry with a hilarious yet potent sense of urgency. Naomi Ackie as Sade, Taylour Paige as Mariah, Poppy Liu as Jianhu, and Eiza González as Violeta all bring distinctive performances that allow each character to fully exist in their own space while sharing the screen effortlessly. From the beginning, the chemistry between the cast feels deeply intimate, creating a dynamic that genuinely feels like family. Will Poulter as Grayson, Don Cheadle as Dr. Jack, and LaKeith Stanfield as the unpredictable Pinky Ring Dude further add to the film’s chaotic charm, while Demi Moore delivers a properly ruthless antagonist in Christie Smith.

The production elements of I Love Boosters are extravagant and irresistible. Production designer Christopher Glass almost literally splashes rainbows upon a palette of ever-increasing grey in film. The costume design and color are a main character in I Love Boosters, taking on a life of their own. It becomes a genre of art in itself: high-camp fashion that links itself, quite literally in some scenes, into transformative fashion. Costume designer Shirley Kurata is given a grand theatrical runway as her stage and holds absolutely nothing back. In a film brimming with such deep messages across multiple facets of its production, one could easily interpret the wardrobe as having its own symbolic meaning for the lead characters, enriching the viewing experience. Every single character, from the leading cast to the side characters, is clad in wardrobes of color and texture. These characters are constantly shedding their extravagant “skins,” often as a means of survival, using their endless stream of disguises to pull off their heists. One standout moment sees Taylour Paige’s Mariah quite literally code-switching into “Light-Skinned Mariah” (played by Robin Thede), a smashingly hilarious bit that uses transformative elements and societal commentary. It’s just one of many great instances within I Love Boosters that uses costume design and color as a cinematic pillar for the film.

In a time where individuality in film is increasingly being reined in by corporate safety-net IP filmmaking, Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters stands out as a daring and flamboyant addition to Hollywood’s creative landscape. It’s a totally unique film with a powerful message and lived commentary on class inequality, worker exploitation, working-class unity, and sacrifice for the greater good in the face of self-serving fulfillment while braving the juggernaut of poverty. From start to finish, the film takes bold swings with fantastical imagery, absurd concepts, and striking production design while staying true to its message. If you are unfamiliar with Boots Riley as an artist, I Love Boosters serves as an exciting introduction to his creative vision. If you are unfamiliar with Boots Riley, I Love Boosters serves as a grand and perfect introduction to his work that is sure to leave you wandering further into his artistic vision.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Neon’s I Love Boosters, starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore, is now playing in theaters.

CREDITS:

Director: Boots Riley

Writer: Boots Riley

Production Company: Ryder Picture Company, Annapurna Pictures, Savage Rose Films

Produced: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley

Executive Producers: Tom Quinn, Jeff Deutchman, Ryan Friscia, Emily Thomas, Claire Timmons, Ken Kao, Josh Rosenbaum, Megan Ellison, Michael A. Jackman, Gus Deardoff, Matthew Medlin, Keke Palmer, and Sharon Palmer

Main Cast: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore

Cinematography: Natasha Braier

Production Design: Christopher Glass

Costume Design: Shirley Kurata

Musical Score: TuneYards

Editors: Terel Gibson, Matthew Hannam

Director of Photography: Natasha Braier

Distributors: NEON (United States and Canada), Focus Features, Universal Pictures (International)

— Rayano Riley

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