‘I Love Boosters’ Review: Fashion, Chaos, and Revolution Collide in This Dazzling Satire

I Love Boosters is oozing with creativity. Every frame, every second is drenched in a euphoric uniqueness that makes it one of the most entertaining films of the year. The film follows the velvet gang, a group of women who steal expensive clothes and sell them for a discounted price. After garnering the attention from the elite fashion designer Christie Smith, played by Demi Moore, the group begin a wild rampage to enact revenge on the fashion mogul. With four amazing performances from the leading women, Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie, and Poppy Liu, and many standout supporting characters, I Love Boosters ends up being one of the best moviegoing experiences of the year. Read our full for I Love Boosters review below.

There is no other movie like I Love Boosters. It is bombastic, vibrant, slapstick, and one of a kind. At every turn you are left in awe of how one person can think all this up. Boots Riley showed that he was unlike anyone else with his first film, Sorry to Bother You, and I Love Boosters just further proves how singular he is. There is an extremely low possibility of you getting bored during any of his films. Their rewatchability is one of the aspects that makes them so special. A lot is happening every second, meaning you can pick up on more in a second viewing. The film is so meticulous, detailed, and well crafted that each frame gives you a multitude of things to look at at once. This makes the first watch a little overstimulating, but it makes me want to return to the film as soon as possible. Boots Riley and the entire creative team of I Love Boosters are working on another level of originality that is exciting to watch.

One of the main highlights of the film is the ensemble. Every actor is giving their all, delivering on the laughs, sentimental moments, and everything in between. The main standouts for me are Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, and Naomi Ackie, the main trio of I Love Boosters. Keke Palmer specifically is a star. It really is a disservice that she is not given more chances to lead a film. She has a natural charism that comes across in every role, but her turn as Corvette feels very different than her past work. She has her funny moments, yet she shines more in the more subtle emotions. You are given a distinct image of who this woman is. Palmer proves herself as more than just a charismatic comedic actress, but a true force to be reckoned with. Naomi Ackie is the major foil to Keke’s Corvette. Ackie holds her own and helps carry the more tense emotional scenes beautifully. Taylour Paige was a personal highlight of mine. Her character, Mariah, is mostly there for comedic sake, but her charm is so apparent that it left a huge impression on me. 

Most of I Love Boosters worked, there was only a little that failed on the first watch. Most of the lows come from LaKeith Stanfield’s storyline. As a huge fan of his work and his past collaboration with Boots Riley I had little doubt about his character, but by the end it felt like the only piece of this extravagant puzzle that did not fit. One of the most insane moments of the entire film comes from his character, but it felt like a random inclusion rather than something that helps the plot move forward in an interesting way. I think in future watches his character and scenes could make more sense, but for now it felt too out of place for me to want it there. His ending was also so anticlimactic that all the craziness that he brought before felt so unearned. Yet, this is my single complaint about this film, which says a lot. 

What surprised me most about the film was how hopeful it felt in the end. I Love Boosters is a radical takedown on capitalism. If you are expecting a slapstick, empty movie then Boots Riley is not who you think he is. Just like in Sorry to Bother You, Riley has a lot to say and the imagination to make it feel like your first time hearing it. We are living in a time where billionaires, like Demi Moore’s character, are given free reign and the ability to manipulate their workers and the public. It’s bleak, but that’s not what I Love Boosters leaves you with. It leaves you with the image of people coming together and speaking up for what’s right. A real we are all in this together mentality.

It was hopeful, sweet, and earned because of how we watch these women slowly realize how this is bigger than just themselves. The elite attack from all sides and if we all only think of ourselves only no progress will be made. There is so much more to dissect in this film that I can not wait to discover on the inevitable rewatch. If you have yet to see I Love Boosters I urge you to find the time. Films like this do not come out every day and when they do we as moviegoers have to show our support in order to get more films like this made in the future. 

I Love Boosters was written and directed by Boots Riley and stars Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie, Poppy Liu, Demi Moore, LaKeith Standfield, Will Poulter, and Eiza González. The film was released on May 22. 

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