"I Love Boosters" — a feature film written and directed by Boots Riley — premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film and television festival in Austin. It marks Riley's second directorial effort, following his 2018 debut Sorry to Bother You.
Synopsis and Characters
The narrative follows a group of shoplifters known as The Velvet Gang: Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomi Ackie), and Mariah (Taylour Paige). The characters steal designer goods and resell them at discounted prices. Corvette is an aspiring fashion designer who leads the group's operation.
The plot centers on a conflict between the group and Christie Smith (Demi Moore), a high-profile fashion designer. According to the film, Smith steals one of Corvette's designs and is portrayed as price gouging and creating unsafe working conditions in a factory. In response, the group plans to steal Smith's entire inventory, which subsequently initiates a movement among retail and factory workers.
"The film explores the concept of value and the cost of involvement in art, particularly within the fashion industry." — Boots Riley
Additional cast members include:
- Poppy Liu as Jianpu, a character with teleportation abilities
- LaKeith Stanfield as a serpent demon with his own agenda
- Eiza González as a retail worker who assists the group
- Will Poulter
- Don Cheadle, who appears as a motivational speaker and pyramid-scheme hustler
Production and Style
The film incorporates elements of surrealism and magical realism. Visual effects include claymation for "fashion minions" and miniatures for a car chase sequence set on a scaled model of San Francisco streets. A penthouse apartment set was constructed at a steep angle. Filming took place in Atlanta and Louisville.
Costume Design
Costume design was led by Oscar-nominated Shirley Kurata. Key wardrobe details include:
- The Velvet Gang characters wearing Bay-area grunge and Gen-Z raver styles, including furry cropped bomber jackets, remixed sports jerseys, oversized acrylic accessories, and neon-highlighted wigs
- Kurata sourced clothing from thrift stores and loans from student designers at Savannah College of Art and Design
- Christie Smith's character wears a platinum bob, aviator reading glasses, and oversized power suits designed to be devoid of color
The film's stores, "Metro Designer," change color in nearly every scene.
Director's Statements
Riley has stated that the film explores the concept of value and the cost of involvement in art, particularly within the fashion industry. He has identified as a communist, stating that theft is foundational to capitalism and citing the legal seizure of land, minerals, and labor by the bourgeoisie.
"Shoplifting does not force retailers to raise prices." — Riley, referencing a Bay Area Walgreens case where executives stated to shareholders that shoplifting was not the cause of store closures
Regarding collaboration with Annapurna Pictures (run by Megan Ellison), Riley acknowledged criticism and described it as a "liberal critique," noting that major shareholders in entertainment companies also benefit from Israel investments.
Themes and Critique
The film critiques:
- Over-consumption
- Intellectual property theft of smaller designers by larger corporations
- Working conditions for garment workers