Sorry to Bother You

I’m not sure when the last time was that a film tried so many different things and succeeded with pretty much every single one. Sorry to Bother You has its cake and eats it and then some. As a satirical commentary on race in America it feels vital – the core conceit of Cassius succeeding in his job by putting on a perfect “white voice” is as cutting as it is funny – but the horror element is also present in a chilling scene in which Cassius is repeatedly implored to rap by a room of white people. Boots Riley’s direction is exciting and feels like something genuinely new. There’s a touch of Edgar Wright’s dynamism about it but Riley’s characters are never lost in the shuffle as Wright’s have sometimes been. The ensemble help make this a great film about joining a union, a bizarre punch-the-air caper and a laugh-out-loud comedy on top of feeling like a key moment in black American cinema. Whatever director Boots Riley does next, everyone ought to be watching.

different!

deep!