From the unconventional vision of Boots Riley, I Love Boosters is a satirical, eccentric and stylishly visionary feature. The dedicated community organizer heavily involved in grassroots movements who transitioned into filmmaker hits audiences with a vibrant, outrageous and surrealistic crime comedy that offers hard-hitting social commentary on class, race, stereotypes, capitalism and the harsh conditions of the fashion industry. The comedy/adventure which first premiered in Austin, at the 40th SXSW, hits theaters on May 22nd.
I Love Boosters is written and directed by provocative filmmaker, musician and activist Boots Riley, best known for Sorry to Bother You (2018), I’m a Virgo (2023), and as the frontman of the political hip-hop group ‘The Coup.’ The film is a colorful, chaotic, anti-capitalist crime comedy set in Oakland, that follows a fearless crew of stylish young women.
Starring professional shoplifters Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomi Ackie), and Mariah (Taylour Paige), who build an underground empire through organized shoplifting across the Bay Area. Living in an abandoned chicken restaurant and surviving by reselling stolen designer goods, their “boosting” becomes both a means of survival and a radical act of protest against wealth and luxury culture. The highly inventive ragtag team steals designer goods from high-end luxury shops and cutthroat fashion mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore). The ensemble cast also features Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, and Don Cheadle.
Facing eviction, the stylish trio of shoplifters, known as the Velvet Gang, who resell stolen luxury fashion at steep discounts challenge the exclusivity and excess of high fashion while becoming folk heroes in their community. Their underground operation takes a surreal turn when Jianhu (Poppy Liu), a principled factory worker from across the world, joins the group and pulls them into a stranger world involving teleportation, synthesis and deconstruction devices, ‘situational enhancers,’ supernatural forces, and hidden corruption within the fashion empire run by Metro Designers’ very own Christie Smith.
After fashion mogul Christie insults the women, “low-class urban bitches” and steals one of Corvette’s designs, the Velvet Gang retaliates by planning a massive heist targeting her entire inventory, inspiring a growing rebellion among retail and factory workers. As their actions gain viral attention, the crew’s final reckless mission evolves into a revolutionary fight against exploitation and inequality, blending chaotic comedy, sci-fi surrealism, and anti-capitalist satire.
Taking a radical approach it offers a sharp yet comedic and nuanced critique of the fashion industry, exploring the hidden realities behind luxury and fast fashion, including unsafe labor conditions, worker exploitation, and the economic divide between the wealthy and the working class. Through chaotic satire and exaggerated stereotypes, the film delivers biting social commentary on inequality, consumerism, and the systems that profit from exclusion while masking exploitation behind glamour and status.
As satirical as it may be, it does take a while to essentially find its footing. The movie is hilarious and visually striking, but overly ambitious and ultimately struggles with pacing and tonal balance, taking time to settle into its rhythm and occasionally feeling erratic or overextended. Some sequences go on for far too long, such as an obnoxiously annoying recliner scene that completely takes viewers out of the movie. Despite these structural issues, its strongest asset is its cast and character dynamics, which give the film much of its energy and charm.
The film boasts a brilliant cast with immense chemistry. The ensemble, led by Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Poppy Liu, brings insanely strong chemistry and a campy, electric energy that keeps audiences engaged. Palmer and Ackie display a layered and complicated friendship, Paige provides standout comedic relief, Liu adds emotional grounding, and Eiza González delivers one of her most memorable performances as a stoner-brainiac type character.
Supporting performances from LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, and Don Cheadle further enrich the film by embodying different shades of complicity, from toxic masculinity to systemic buy-in.
Ultimately, the film’s biggest issue is between its bold, high-energy ideas and its reluctance to fully embrace their extremes. It constantly builds toward bigger, wilder swings, yet sometimes pulls back just before going all in, an ironic limitation for a film defined by ambition, chaos, and big creative risks.
A major highlight of the film is its intensely stylized, psychedelic visual approach, where bold color, surreal set design, and exaggerated, campy costumes are used just as much to tell the story as the plot itself. With production design by acclaimed designer Christopher Glass and costume design by Shirley Kurata, the film builds a hyper-saturated, slightly warped version of the San Francisco Bay Area where fashion, labor, and exploitation collide.
Working alongside cinematographer Natasha Braier and costume designer Shirley Kurata, they created a colorful whimsical aesthetic that matches Riley’s storytelling. Kurata’s costume work stands out for its playful, highly stylized, and saturated looks, which pair seamlessly with the color-blocked sets to create a unified visual world. Its zany visuals like tilted architecture, giant rolling balls of yarn, color-blocked environments, and dreamlike backdrops all give the film its distinct tone.
I Love Boosters is a vibrant, outrageous and surrealistic crime comedy that offers hard-hitting social commentary on class, race, stereotypes, capitalism and the harsh conditions of the fashion industry.
The overall aesthetic helps reinforce the film’s themes of exploitation in the fashion industry, including cultural appropriation, overworked factory labor, and underpaid retail workers. Blending whimsy, absurdity, and sharp satire, the film turns its outrageous visual style into a critique of capitalism and inequality.
Overall, it’s a psychedelic, radical, and bizarre joyride, best experienced on the big screen. While the pacing can feel slow at first, the film ultimately delivers an exciting, visually rich, and highly entertaining experience.
I Love Boosters is both stylishly visionary and deliberately outrageous, blending comedy and sharp social commentary. Boots Riley explores class, race, stereotypes, capitalism, and the harsh realities of the fashion industry, making it as thought-provoking as it is visually striking.
Grade: B
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I Love Boosters
A fearless crew of inventive young women turn shoplifting into a radical act of defiance.
