This past weekend, one of the most interesting movies of the summer hit theaters — Sorry to Bother You.
The flick is fresh off its premiere at Sundance back in January and it’s definitely ready to stir up some conversation.
Boots Riley, from the Oakland rap group The Coup, wrote and directed the film, and it tells the story of a Black telemarketer who uses his “white voice” to climb ranks within the sales world.
Of course, this is only a fraction of what the movie is about. With elements of magical realism, over-the-top absurdist humor and an all-star cast, the flick digs into some serious socio-political issues.
Peep the trailer below, then swipe through for six reasons this is one of the best movies of the year so far (minor spoilers).
1. Lakeith Stanfield
First, let’s start off with the obvious. The lead character of the movie, Cash, is the epitome of the working class Black man buying into the American dream of success. Who better to bring humor, quirk and absurdity to this character than Lakeith Stanfield. His airy roll as Darius in Atlanta should serve as proof that Lakeith will put his own special spin on any character.
2. Code switching at its most absurd
If you’re a Black person navigating mostly White spaces, you probably know a thing or two about code switching. Sorry To Bother You takes “throwing on your White voice” to a whole new level by having certain characters have an actual White voice actor fill in for their usual voice. The trope gets used to great effect in multiple scenes throughout the movie!
3. People power
This movie is a great example of what can happen when people get organized over a meaningful cause. But it also deals with the realities of consequences when employees try to unionized or uplift an issue. If you want to know more, utilize your own people power and bring your crew to the theater!
4. Jermaine Fowler and Steven Yeun
The great thing about this movie is along with stars like Tessa Thompson and Terry Crews, you’ll also get some fresh faces who are on the rise. In this case, it’s the dedicated Steven Yeun and the hilarious Jermaine Fowler. Both gained their fame on TV with Yeun in The Walking Dead and Fowler on Superior Donuts. Now, it’s exciting to witness their talents expand to the big screen!
5. Omari Hardwick in a bowler hat
Nothing too deep about this. If you just want to see Ghost from Power in a bowler hat and oh, an eye patch too, cop that ticket!
6. Prison and slavery critiques
Lastly, this movie brings much needed commentary about prisons and how slavery might look like today. A company in the film provides free housing and food to people in return for their labor. It definitely brings up questions of how poor and working class people are funneled into institutions that ultimately make someone else rich.
