“I Love Boosters” (2026)
“I Love Boosters” somehow manages to cross nearly every genre, from drama, comedy and romance to sci-fi, thriller and horror. There is even some stop-motion animation thrown in for good measure.
I love a good genre-bending time at the movies, and this movie perfectly fits the bill.
Plus, the cast of “I Love Boosters” is stacked. Keke Palmer is fantastic per usual as Corvette, the leader of the Velvet Gang, a group of boosters who steal from Metro Designs, the stores where iconic fashion designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore) sells her clothing. Christie walks a fine line between being both Corvette’s nemesis and a source of inspiration to her as a burgeoning fashion designer.
Joining Corvette in the Velvet Gang are her closest friends, Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige).
As Jianhu, Poppy Liu becomes a part of their gang with a sci-fi twist and complements the dynamic the core three have created.
LaKeith Stanfield enters the chat as a charismatic and mysterious love interest for Corvette.
On top of this wonderful core group, “I Love Boosters” features outstanding supporting turns from Eiza González as a Metro Designs employee, Will Poulter as a Metro Designs store manager and Don Cheadle as the leader of an organization that is best described as a combination of a cult and a multi-level marketing scheme.
These actors and more come together to bring filmmaker Boots Riley’s vibrant condemnation of capitalism to life. Watch out for bit parts from Jason Ritter and Kara Young, too.
The fact that “I Love Boosters” is only his second film is incredible. If I didn’t know going into it, I would’ve quickly realized this movie is from the same person who created the world of “Sorry to Bother You,” another condemnation of capitalism starring LaKeith Stanfield that I highly recommend checking out.
In these two movies and his show “I’m a Virgo,” Riley has developed a singular tone that I deeply admire, blending societal criticism with satire, surrealism and a meticulous attention to detail.
In “I Love Boosters,” that attention to detail comes through in the incredible set design, costuming, special effects, hair and makeup.
On top of being just a well crafted story, this movie is a visual feast, and the score and soundtrack are perfect accompaniments as well.
Some may be quick to compare Riley’s style to a blend of Pedro Almodóvar and David Lynch, but I believe he is creating a cinematic language that is truly his own.
I do admit “I Love Boosters” is not for everyone, but I encourage you to seek this one out in theaters if it sounds the least bit interesting to you.
At one point in the movie, Corvette says something along the lines of, “I just wanna take it all home, eat it up, and shoot it out of my eyes.”
This is honestly how I feel about “I Love Boosters.”
We need more movies like this that push the boundaries of what movies can be while using some of the techniques that have been tried and true in the medium. I cannot wait to see what Riley does next.