Sorry to Bother You (Review)

Sorry to Bother You is the Wake Up Call Audiences Need Right Now.

Good news, everyone! Not only is Sorry to Bother You one of the best movies of 2018, it’s also probably one of the most important movies I’ve seen since Get Out. It’s a film that tackles the hard truth that the American dream has become a full-blown nightmare. People don’t work themselves to the bone in order to achieve their goals and aspirations anymore, they do it just to survive. Modern America is nothing more than glorified indentured servitude and director Boots Riley conveys that in both brilliantly subtle ways as well as with a hard slap to the face. The time of art with a message is over and the time for a wake-up call has come.

Earlier this year I spoke about how I felt like 2018 was going be a fairly woke year in theaters and Sorry to Bother You goes a long way in supporting this. The film features an insanely talented cast with the likes of Lakeith Stanfield (redeeming himself after the Death Note fiasco on Netflix), Tessa Thompson (who has become a serious force to be reckoned with after Thor: Ragnarok), Steven Yeun (of Walking Dead fame), Armie Hammer, and many more. These talented actors all come together to create a film that triumphs a cause that shouts out against sexism, racism, and even classism. Stanfield, in particular, is incredible as Cassius Green, a young man who believes in the causes his friends’ triumph, but finds himself tempted too much by the idea of a better life no matter the cost. As he climbs the corporate ladder and abandons his friends with his passive new attitude he sells off bits of his soul. While his initial purpose might be noble, he soon finds himself becoming just another man who can be bought at the right price. In other words, when he’s told to jump, he asks “how high.” It’s little wonder that our heroes name sounds so much like “Cash is Green.”

Sorry to Bother You is a film that slowly evolves over its hour and 45 minutes run time. It grows from delightful satire to absurdist surrealism. At its heart though, it gives voice to the minorities that are oppressed by corporate America and fully acknowledges the privilege that so many try adamantly to deny exists today. It also takes a look at the idea that privilege has shifted over the years. This is best displayed by the idea of the “white voice” (David Cross, though Robert Pattinson and Lily James appear as other white voices) that Cassius Green is forced to use in order to make it in the depressing world of telemarketing (this is a workplace comedy in the worst possible way). Of course, the fact that it’s a white voice points to the fact that white Americans have a lot more going for them than people of color. However, Danny Glover says that the white voice isn’t just trying to sound “white” it’s trying to sound how white people think they should sound. It’s playing on the idea that we as a society feel obligated to act and be something that we never will be. Cassius’ white voice is one that exudes confidence because it’s a voice that says, “I don’t really need your money. I’m here to help you out because in a few minutes I’m going to get off work and hop in my Ferrari.” That right there is a terrifying realization for everyone in the audience no matter what their ethnicity might be.

Director Boots Riley manages a home run his first time at bat as a feature director and proves that he is a man with a phenomenal vision. While Sorry to Bother You might become a bit hard to watch with its absurdism towards the end, he hits the nail on the head when it comes to the problems at the heart of modern America. He satirically creates a company in the background that offers up security by having it’s workers sign lifelong employment contracts in exchange for living quarters and daily meals. In other words, three hots and a cot. Americans favorite television show is “I got the #$@& Kicked Out of Me,” where contestants compete by literally getting beaten up and humiliated. We’ve become a society that is so miserable, that the only thing that makes us feel better is watching other people getting it worse than us. In doing so, we’ve also become complacent in the worst possible way. It’s a good thing we have films like Sorry to Bother You to shine a light on the dangerous path we’re on.

I could write much more than just a simple review on Sorry to Bother You. It’s a movie filled with subtle and not so subtle symbolism and imagery. There’s so much going on, that I doubt I was even able to take in half of everything that Riley worked into it. However, I’m excited to try again sometime in the near future. That being said, it’s a hard pill to swallow overall. It’s a good thing that it has such a keen sense of humor. Afterall, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, something that so many heavy-handed films have failed to grasp and just end up pushing the audience away by the time the credits roll. No one wants to get lectured at the movies, instead Sorry to Bother You sees itself as a learning opportunity not to preach but to enlighten.

For me, Sorry to Bother You has cemented itself as a film that is a crucial message at just the right time. It’s because of this that I’m going to call it one of the most important movies of the year and an early favorite of mine. It’s not easy to watch at times, but the truth isn’t always easy. However, it’s not a film that believes in “brutal honesty.” It sticks to its guns one the aspect of privilege but also understands that everyone is suffering these days. Black or white we all share a common enemy in the 1% that crushes us under its heel for the sake of green. This is delightfully portrayed by Armie Hammer who is absolutely despicable. If it doesn’t get any respect when award season rolls around then I think it’s clear which side of the fence the members of the Academy side with. Until then, do yourself a favor and go see Sorry to Bother You. I get that it’s not a film for everyone, but it’s a film that everyone should see.