SXSW 2026: I LOVE BOOSTERS

The new film from absurdist and surrealist director Boots Riley kick-started the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival. As a fan of his feature debut, Sorry to Bother You, and after waiting eight years since its release,I was excited and happy to attend the premiere of I Love Boosters. As I watched Riley’s ridiculous, but often brilliantly conceived scenarios, I laughed heartily and marveled at the insanity on the screen. At the same time, I was a bit disappointed that, despite how wild and bold the scenarios are, it seemed like Riley couldn’t hold everything together into a cohesive movie.

Keke Palmer stars as Corvette, an aspiring fashion designer who shoplifts expensive clothing with her friends to resell at more reasonable prices. Known as the Velvet Gang, Corvette and her friends, Mariah (Taylour Page), and Sade (Naomi Ackie) become infamous for “boosting” ridiculous amounts of clothing from fashion expert and clothing store owner, Christie Smith (Demi Moore). After Smith steals some of Corvette’s designs, the Velvet Gang seeks their vengeance through theft. Their clothing heists take Corvette and the Velvet Gang on a wildly ridiculous ride involving teleportation, sweat shop employees, and science-fiction gags.

I absolutely love the insanely ridiculous gags, themes, and scenarios in Riley’s I Love Boosters. I also love its bold, vibrant color palette. However, I feel that the movie and story can be scatter-brained. It’s often hilarious—a hodgepodge of characters, concepts, and jokes—but it lacks the cohesiveness to work as a great movie overall. I feel Riley had a more coherent vision for his first film, Sorry to Bother You, despite its craziness.

I love the cast and their commitment to Riley’s humor and tone. Keke Palmer, Taylour Page, and Naomi Ackie are superb as the Velvet Gang. Demi Moore is sharply nasty as fashion maven Christie Smith. The film features standout, hilarious performances from Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, Jason Ritter, Eric Andre, Adam DeVine, and others.

The crowd at the sold-out Paramount Theater seemed to enjoy every minute, and it’s hard not to acknowledge how funny I Love Boosters is. While I just wanted more substance and less outlandishness, Boots Riley remains a unique and fascinating voice in cinema. Fans of Sorry to Bother You will enjoy his sophomore feature, though those who dislike his brand of insanity will not.