Sorry to Bother You Review

Unfocused, sloppy, and oftentimes incoherent, but it’d be a mistake to assume that those words are blanket negatives for all films. Here, for instance, its sloppiness manages to maintain an endearing quality, even if it sometimes drags the story down behind it. Ambition-fueled energy bounces off the walls of each scene, a ton of vivid ideas and production choices chaotically swirling around to the point where you just have to sit back and admire the effort on display.

Sure, Riley doesn’t seem to have a grand, unifying satirical message here, but its wild style is nonetheless effective because the satire is so distinctly visual instead of written or verbal. The incisiveness of the commentary slices through the pedagogic approach frequently taken to critiques of capitalism, specifically because Riley primarily wants you to see and feel the effects of capitalism via his main character’s trip of a journey. This is most evident in Cash’s body itself, the very site of exploitation at the intersection of race and class. From the wound on his head to his “White Voice” to the increasingly bizarre and humiliating developments in the last act, he is taken through the wringer in a way that is—importantly—comedic so as to make the satirical imagery stand out.

The third act’s turn into the surreal is a great idea on paper, but it almost doesn’t go far enough in its absurdism to really make an impact. The film’s energy fizzles out as it progresses, and the last act is plagued with pacing problems and a frustratingly diluted approach toward its own premise. Nevertheless, Armie Hammer turns in the best performance I’ve seen from him because he thoroughly understands what kind of film he’s in, and Tessa Thompson shines in what little she has to do. The film overall is hit or miss and will certainly be divisive, but it’s worth a watch if only so you can ask yourself “What the hell am I watching?”

GRADE: B-

Tags: Armie Hammer Sorry to Bother You, Boots Riley Sorry to Bother You, Capitalism social commentary Sorry to Bother You, Danny Glover Sorry to Bother You, Horses Sorry to Bother You, Lakeith Stanfield Sorry to Bother You, Sorry to Bother You, Steven Yeun Sorry to Bother You, Terry Crews Sorry to Bother You, Tessa Thompson Sorry to Bother You, White Voice David Cross Sorry to Bother You