Sorry to Bother You [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD]

Director: Boots, Boots Riley Boots

Overview

In this satirical comedy, a black telemarketer's prowess as a salesman skyrockets when he adopts a "white voice." As he scales the corporate ladder, his personal loyalties, his activist girlfriend and his CEO's questionable ethics prompt him to examine his conscience. Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Terry Crews, and Steven Yeun. Directed by Boots Riley.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/23/2018
UPC:	0024543549031
Original Release:	2018
Rating:	R
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	A
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	7,252

Special Features

Closed Caption; Beautiful clutter with Director Boots Riley ; Commentary with Director Boots Riley; Gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Lakeith Lee Stanfield	Cassius Green,Actor
Tessa Thompson	Detroit
Armie Hammer	Steve Lift
Terry Crews	Sergio Green
Steven Yeun	Squeeze
Omari Hardwick	Mr. Blank
Jermaine Fowler	Salvador
Danny Glover	Langston
Kate Berlant	Diana DeBauchery
Michael X. Sommers	Johnny
Robert Longstreet	Anderson
Shelley Mitchell	Mrs. Costello
Jerry McDaniel	Man Eating Dinner
Indigo Jackson	Cynthia Rose/Neanderthal Woman
Eric Jacobus	Blackwater Commander
Elaine Clark	Game Show Host,Game Show Host
Mistah FAB	Car Passenger
Valerie Garrahan	Woman On Couch,Woman on Couch
Chad Briggs	Billboard Worker
Ken Baggott	TV News Reporter
David Fine	Street Preacher
Damion Gallegos	Jim Elfman
Michael Rhys Kan	Mr. Son
Molly Brady	Entertainment News Host
Nato Green	Man In Crowd,Left Eye Street Artist
W. Kamau Bell	Other Man in Crowd
Safiya Fredericks	Colette
Terel Gibson	NTV Spots Announcer
Lyrics Born	Game Show Contestant
Thessaly Lerner	DIY Wig-Making Host
Ken Gamble	Screaming Equisapien
Keneice Ford	Left Eye Street Artist
Gina Madrid	Left Eye Street Artist
Spy Emerson	Left Eye Street Artist
Silk E	Left Eye Street Artist
Jacinta Kaumbulu	Left Eye Street Artist
Sara Melekova	Left Eye Street Artist
Annie Chen	Left Eye Street Artist
Akilah Walker	Lef Eye Street Artist
Akia Greybill	Left Eye Street Artist
Lon Muckey	Puppeteer
Garth Winkless	Puppeteer
Tom Woodruff Jr.	Puppeteer
Mistah F.A.B.	Car Passenger
David Cross	White Cassius Green
Patton Oswalt	White Mr. Blank
Lily James	Detroit's White British Voice
Forest Whitaker	First Equisapien/Demarius
Rosario Dawson	Voice in Elevator
Sara Buskirk	WorryFree Commercial Voice
Gabby La La	Health Clinic Receptionist
Nate Brenner	Composer
Merrill Garbus	Composer

Technical Credits

Boots

Boots	Director,Screenwriter
Forest Whitaker	Producer
Nina Yang	Producer
Charles D. King	Producer
George Rush Jr.	Producer
Caroline Kaplan	Executive Producer
Michael K. Shen	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Michael Y. Chow	Executive Producer
Gus Deardoff	Executive Producer
Poppy Hanks	Executive Producer
Kim Roth	Executive Producer
Philipp Engelhorn	Executive Producer
George Rush	Producer
Kelly Williams	Producer
Eyde Belasco	Casting
Jonathan Duffy	Producer
Fred Runner	Sound Mixer
Boots Riley	Director

Editorial Reviews

Sorry to Bother You, written and directed by Boots Riley, is a psychedelic journey into a macabre universe that, despite the nightmarish qualities, I didn't want to leave. Lakeith Stanfield delivers a comical performance as Cassius 'Cash' Green, a broke African American man living in his uncle's garage, and Stanfield does a great job representing a guy who questions the existential nature of his life. His lighthearted yet sophisticated girlfriend Detroit, played by Tessa Thompson, offers Cassius a companion to express the concerns of living a successful professional life and leaving a mark on the world before he goes. After getting hired as a telemarketer, Cassius Green is told to use a "white voice" when making pitches to customers via cold calls. Hilarity ensues when a creative twist on lip syncing sees an actual white voice actor (David Cross) speak over Green when he starts using the "white voice." Armie Hammer also transports himself into a deranged role as Steve Lift, the antagonist CEO of a major wellness company, and hysterical exchanges are in abundance when Cassius and Steve meet one another. In addition to the mesmerizing acting, the directing of this film is incredibly intriguing. Boots Riley's use of jump cuts particularly stands out and is most prominent during scenes where Cassius is cold calling potential customers; whenever someone answers his call, Cassius is moved from his office setting and dropped right into the customer's house for the duration of the call. It's a cinematic illusion that is uniquely creative. In terms of relevance to society, Riley does a great job stretching the boundaries of his creative license. His film is not blatantly used as a societal device, but is more of an existential and moral tool, and everything incorporated can be up for interpretation. Steve Lift is a malicious man with questionable moral intentions - really questionable moral intentions - which could be a gut punch to capitalism. Incredibly wealthy individuals don't always get to their position by doing the right thing, and those who do earn their status don't always handle their power correctly. Lift is highly representative of this kind of behavior. There are also undertones of disproportionate wealth distribution, seen in the dichotomy between Stanfield's character and Hammer's character. As a whole, Sorry to Bother You is very inventive in regard to comedy and satire. Boots Riley's film blends comedy, science fiction, and fantasy, and does so successfully, hardly an easy task to accomplish with any mix of genres. In his direction, Riley appears cognizant of the importance of execution when mixing genres like this, and he delivers spectacularly. There are a few moments in the second and third act where more clarity is needed regarding the subject of certain scenes. However, this is the kind of movie that deserves to be re-watched and re-analyzed for years to come.