‘Sorry to Bother You’ Review

August 13, 2020 Gabriel

All I knew going into Sorry to Bother You is that a black telemarketer starts using a “white voice” to become a hotshot salesman. Sounded funny enough as a gag. It’s probably for the best that it was the only thing I knew about the movie, and it’s probably the only thing you need to know going in.

That and the fact that it’s amazing.

Sorry to Bother You is the story of Cassuis Green (Get Out’s Lakeith Stanfield), a down on his luck loser who shoots up the corporate ladder, from encyclopedia salesman to mythical “Power Caller”, through a set of increasingly surreal feats of salesmanship. It’s worth noting that this film is pretty surreal in general, and isn’t afraid to bend the rules of reality (frequently) to crack a joke or make a point, so it’s worth it to go in with an open mind and roll with whatever happens (trust me, you’ll enjoy it more that way). If you’re into comparisons, think Office Space meets Synecdoche NewYork, though arguably funnier than the former and less depressing than the latter. Another way to think about it is it’s like a really good episode of BoJack Horseman or South Park.

Credit goes to writer/director/musician Boots Riley for putting together this wild, weird, and exceedingly clever ride. It’s a Charlie Kaufman-esque dream of a film that entwines politics, pop-culture, and economics in a broad and sweeping satire. Riley creates an excellent sense of atmosphere from the first set of scenes and escalates everything as he goes. The film starts feeling slightly off kilter before slowly transforming into a wild comedic fantasy, a grotesque cracked-mirror reflection of the world we live in. There are great performances across the board, from the lead and especially from secondary players like Armie Hammer, Tessa Thompson, and the many voice cameos.

I’ve probably said too much already. This movie is great. I laughed my ass off. Go see it.