Sorry to Bother You

Absurd genre movies can make more of an impression than audiences are willing to give them credit for. On paper, they give premises that sound simple in nature and could be interpreted as generic. However, in execution it turns out to be some of the best works that people will always love for the subtext being conveyed. Great examples of this include Robocop, Get Out, District 9 where their underlying messages are rather fascinating to observe in terms of the actions taking place and the environment. This brings us to another venture into that effort, Sorry To Bother You, written and directed by Boots Riley (his directorial debut). It premiered at the Sundance festival in January and has been receiving a good word of mouth. The marketing campaign displayed how bizarre the premise was and did a great job in only showing a small sample of the craziness involved. It received strong positive critical reviews, though many noted that it was somewhat divisive with something that happens in the story. I entered the auditorium excited to check it out since it was on my anticipated list a couple of weeks after it released into theaters earlier this month and I left it shocked as well as impressed by the fascinating entertainment it provided.

Plot: Taking place in an alternate present day, a telemarketer who adopts a selling strategy to move forward in his job must shape his morality based on a choice between a selfish monetary advantage vs joining a workers labor strike at the company. One of the best things going here is how unpredictable the events are due to the absurd elements going on in the environment that's treated like it's a normal thing. The type of discussion between the characters about just follow the mundane pattern, the fake it until you make it routine, and how all shapes who you are are endearing for the conflict at hand. It takes the central problem with the seriousness it deserves because it's a legitimate issue that comes up more often that others are willing to admit. There are aspects where it gets surreal with the imagination in a couple of moments where it ranges from comedic to horrifying.

However, I'm going to feel like a broken record for saying this for what feels like the umpteenth time in a row for these types of features, the third act is where a number of problems affect the quality and momentum from the great first two acts. It felt like the script wanted to finish off the story in a timely manner and jumbled up story pieces together. There's a big surprise in here that will definitely be divisive and will cause you to either accept that it's part of their reality to go along with or to possibly be taken out of it altogether.

Characters: The people to focus on Cassius "Cash" Green (Lakeith Stanfield) and Detroit (Tessa Thompson). Cash is an ambitious telemarketer who uses a "white voice" to fake his way through job to attain monetary gain and pay for his overdue to his uncle. Lakeith is excellent here in how his character reacts to rapidly evolving situations in both his personal life and those around his morality from career choices. Detroit is Cash's artistic girlfriend who isn't afraid to express herself and live in the moment while fighting for what's right. Tessa gives a great performance as one of many people who looks cartoony by their attire and mannerisms but behave as if what occurs is a serious manner to consider. The chemistry and dynamic in this couple is engaging with the dialog provided to them. Honorable mentions go to Squeeze (Steven Yuen), Mr _______ (yes his name is actually Mr Blank) (Omari Hardwick), Steve Lift (Armie Hammer), and Langston (Danny Glover) for their respective performances while having fun with the rest of the cast. A special shout out goes to the "white voices" heard throughout the feature (voiced by Patton Oswalt, David Cross, and Lily James).

Overall Consensus: Sorry To Bother You is one of the most surreal science fiction comedies that's bolstered by great performances, a bizarre yet fascinating script, unique creativity, and hilarious visual jokes. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/4🍿🎟 Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You want to see one of the craziest stories in 2018. You like environments that take place in Oakland. You enjoy alternate versions of the present day. You love seeing absurd and bizarre imagery/humor.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You don't want to see one of the craziest stories in 2018. You dislike environments that take place in Oakland. You dislike alternate versions of the present day. You are uncomfortable seeing absurd and bizarre imagery/humor.