Review of Sorry to Bother You (2018) by Antonius B — 29 Jul 2018

'Sorry to Bother You' is funny in places and has an entertaining story, but what really makes it a good film is its strong social commentary. A young African-American man (Lakeith Stanfield) finds that to make it as a telemarketer, he must use a 'white voice', and then as he finds success and ascends in the ranks, that he has ethical challenges. Can he ignore those still at the bottom as they try to unionize to get a living wage? Can he ignore what his company is doing to other people all over the world with its actions? And can he remain connected to his culture and true self, without sublimating it entirely?

The film gives you the perspective of an African-American person trying to succeed in a capitalist system where the dominant culture is white, and makes you think. Fundamentally there seems to be a choice between struggling to make ends meet at the bottom, or to compromise oneself by working one's way to the top. Of course director (and writer) Boots Riley is giving us the extremes here, but that's what good satire does, and there is plenty of truth in this movie. There is a universal message here as well - at what point does a company do something that crosses a line, and no amount of money justifies you contributing to that? He also gets in a few jabs at the state of entertainment in America, where people revel in the misery of others.

The performances are all strong, led by Stanfield, but Tessa Thompson as his artist girlfriend, and Steven Yeun as his co-worker pushing the group to strike, also stand out. Riley keeps the tone light despite all of the depth the film has, and doesn't dwell on the pathos. A great example is when the young telemarketer has 'made it', so that now he's on the executive floor and invited to a fancy party, but even then he's still forced to rap by the CEO and a large crowd. How this scene plays out is funny, but also disturbing, and as you reflect on it, it's just a powerful, powerful scene. Another example are the 'white voices' being dubbed in with Caucasian actors, which is funny especially the first time you hear it. At first I thought that I would have preferred it if they were done by the African-American actors, but then I thought this was also telling me something, that this is how foreign this mask is to the minority culture.

I loved reading this story three years ago when it was included in an issue of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, and was very happy the movie did it justice. It's certainly in keeping with the political messages of Riley's group 'The Coup' as well (check out the 2012 album 'Sorry to Bother You'). It was nice to see that the film was shot in Oakland, and little things like the cameo from W. Kamau Bell. Definitely worth seeing.