Sorry to Bother You (2018)

I’m always on the lookout for something new and original. Recently, I got a request to watch and review Sorry to Bother You. I actually heard about this movie years ago but never got around to watching it until now. So now that I have, I can certainly say this was without a doubt one of the strangest and yet thought-provoking films that I’ve watched in a while. I read another review that called this “The WTF Movie of the Year” and I can see why because I’m kind of asking the same question. It took a while for me to understand what the hell I witnessed (I guess that’s my slow burner brain) but once everything clicked in, I knew exactly what it was going for. Also, as someone from the Bay Area, I thought it was cool to see Oakland represented. I’ve seen a lot of movies with predictable storylines but I can safely say that there was absolutely nothing predictable about this movie whatsoever. Some of my most memorable film experiences are when I have no clue where the story will take me and I have a feeling this one will stick with me for a while. I have so much more to add here, so let’s get things underway.

     The story follows Cassius “Cash” Green (LaKeith Stanfield), a struggling telemarketer in an alternate-reality Oakland who discovers that using a “white voice” skyrockets him to success. I feel like if I say any more, I might spoil the movie so I’ll just leave it there. In a way, I actually feel kind of messed up from this movie. Well, more messed up than usual but I think the point is made. One thing’s for sure, writer and director Boots Riley knew what he was doing here. His movie delivers a powerful message about capitalism, race, and identity, and it uses surrealism and satire to show how people are often forced to give up their true selves to succeed in a system that exploits them. It’s always good to see how a message is brought up in movies and this one had the most insane way of getting it across. And I mean that in a positive way. I will say, I’m glad I went into this movie completely blind, because I don’t think it would have gotten the same reaction from me if I didn’t. If I was able to catch on easily, you know, like a more “put-together” individual, I probably wouldn’t have had the same WTF look on my face that I did throughout most of the movie. Actually, what the hell am I talking about? I don’t think any normal person could guess what happens next in this movie. It’s so crazy and it keeps you wondering what the next scene will be. There are so many words I could use to describe this movie but I think the best one would have to be original. You don’t really get that a lot these days.

     Like I said, I’m always on the lookout for something new to watch and I’m glad I had this film recommended to me. My only complaint would be that it felt a little slow at first but I don’t really see that as a big deal. It was still fresh, original, and provided the right amount of chuckles and plot twists to keep me glued to the screen. For that, I would have to give this movie an 8 out of 10. If you’re looking for something original, funny, and will give you the same confused look on your face as me, then definitely add this film to your watchlist. Totally crazy but worth sitting through.