Review of Sorry to Bother You (2018) by Keenan S — 13 Jul 2018

Wow. Holy fucking shit. I just got back from watching one of the most bold, exciting, and daring films I have seen in years - both in the theater and overall. It's an intensely cerebral, thought-provoking, harshly truthful comedy that not only engaged me, but also made me laugh the hardest I have in years at a comedy.

Cassius Green lives with his performance artist girlfriend, Detroit, in his uncle's garage in Oakland. Needing money and wanting a better life, he takes a job at Regal View Telemarketing after a hilarious interview where the interviewer compliments Cassius' fake trophy and awards, "You know what that trophy tells me? It shows that you have dedication.

..and that you can fucking read." Despite his lowly position, he is promised that if he makes enough sales, he could perhaps one day reach the status of "Power Caller" - telemarketers who make the bigger sales and even have their own private elevator.

He struggles at first, until a fellow co-worker gives him the advice to use his "white voice" so that the potential customer feels more comfortable. Soon, with this new advice, Cassius begins making sales like crazy.

However, the company treats its lower level employees like trash and soon the workers protest. Cassius, along with his girlfriend, and family and friends are part of that protest. But when Cassius is called into the office after a protest, he discovers that he is going to be promoted to Power Caller and cannot resist the offer.

This alienates his fellow works, and especially his girlfriend and friends, which is only worsened when he describes his position on the protest as being "from the bench." Using his "white voice" and skills, he rises through the ranks again, and his lifestyle also reaches new heights with a new car, new apartment, new outfits, etc.

Soon, his skills attract the head of the WorryFree company, which deals in human slavery by forcing their workers to work for them for life as part of their contracts, but it helps the economy by making products for a much cheaper price, such as building a car for as much as it cost to make a bicycle.

But as Cassius rises through the ranks and enjoying his new lifestyle, he soon discovers a rabbit hole of utter insanity as he exposes dark corporate secrets, while the rest of the world enjoys watching the most popular show on television: I Got the S#*@ Kicked Out of Me - which is exactly as the title implies.

I know, the plot sounds simple, but that's the simple summary. Giving a longer one would not only not give the film the justice it deserves, but even if I told you the spoilers (And they are crazy, mind-melting, jaw-dropping spoilers), you wouldn't believe me.

It's a film that weaves race issues, race expectations based on prejudice, the dark side of capitalism and corporations, society's indifference to issues (Like watching cheap television programs and viral videos, while ignoring what's going on and hoping that it just goes away or we develop a tolerance for it until it becomes accepted), class, and so much more all rolled into a darkly humorous, surreal, and brilliant trip into the maw of madness.

The film definitely lives up to its title, as it urges your attention in a most brash manner. It wants you to look, it wants you to look into yourself, to look at society, and pull back the curtain that hides these issues while we're too distracted by frivolous entertainment and indifference on that very stage.

However, it's messages aren't always in your face, as it also hides clever, subtly hidden messages within its already varied social commentary. Sorry to Bother You is an important film. It's brutally honest and doesn't hold back.

Even when it makes you laugh, it also wants you to think about the world around you and those issues you ignore out of convenience in your day-to-day life. It wants to provoke you and it wants you give a damn for once, rather than just being a protester on issues from "the bench.

" It's a brazen, in-your-face, "what the fuck are you gonna do about it?" kind of social commentary. It's not a plea, it's a demand made with harsh truths, but also comes from a passionate heart.

I don't think I've understood all that Sorry to Bother You has to say (Believe, it has to say a lot), and I hope that didn't misconstrue any of its meanings, but it left one hell of an impression on me.

It made me laugh, it made me think, it made me excited about a new film-making talent in writer/director, Riley Boots, and it also inspired introspection and more careful look at the world. This is not only among the very best films of 2018, but I think it is among the very best films of the decade.

Hell, it may very well be one of the most important films of the century that I urge any serious film watcher to see. If this film goes unnoticed by audiences, it will be one of the great travesties of cinema.

Don't let this film go unnoticed. See it, think about it, think about yourself, think about the world, and have plenty of good laughs, too. If this is a debut effort for Riley Boots, all I can say is, more, please.

Absolutely motherfucking outstanding in every way.