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Sorry to Bother You, 2018
In an alternate-present, a man named Cassius (LaKeith Stanfield) gets a job at a telemarketing firm to help support himself and his artist girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson). On the advice of an older worker, Cassius begins using a "white voice" (voiced by David Cross) and suddenly encounters a lot of success. As Cassius begins to rise in the ranks, he is put in a hard place between financial success and the unionization attempts of some of his co-workers (Jermaine Fowler and Steven Yeun).
I am so glad that I didn't know much about this film (aside from some positive word of mouth from trusted friends) going into it. The entire world of the movie is a heightened version of our own world, and I loved the exaggerations--both small and large--of aspects of our culture. We frequently see clips of a popular TV show, "I Had the Sh*t Beat Out of Me", in which contestants are simply assaulted for the enjoyment of the audience. One of the best aspects of the film is the way that some of these gags that seem as if they are throwaway jokes eventually come to play an important part of the plot.
It would be easy to assume, especially based on the plot summary, that the only commentary happening in this film is racial. And while it is true that race is an essential part of the plot, the overarching critique is actually based on class and the dynamic between citizens, workers, large corporations, and the government. At one point Cassius attends a party thrown by the company's founder. After an encounter with the party-goers (which I will not spoil, but which is certainly one of the funniest and most depressing moments of the film) leaves Cassius in despair, a fellow employee tells him, "There's no use being sad about what should be. We only have to take what we can with what is." The problem is not that Cassius can't be successful--it's about what he has to do and who he has to be to achieve that success.
The performances across the board are incredibly strong. Stanfield anchors the film as a man who is under pressure from all sides. We feel his anxiety over what he must do at work, but we also understand the allure of financial success. Thompson is strong as his girlfriend, Detroit, a woman who considers herself an activist and yet must pander to a wealthy white audience. I have also never really seen much of Steven Yeun, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how charismatic he is as a performer. I'd also give a nod to Omari Hardwick, as one of the other "high rollers" in the company who takes Cassius under his wing.
This is a film that is bold and weird. So often I didn't anticipate what was coming next, and that was really delightful. Broad cultural critiques can be hard, and I felt that the film really walked the line between telling a personal story and a larger one about social issues. I'm not entirely sure it stuck the landing, but it was a heck of a ride. This is the kind of film that makes you want to be sure you know when the creator's next film hits the theater.
Sorry to Bother You, 2018
In an alternate-present, a man named Cassius (LaKeith Stanfield) gets a job at a telemarketing firm to help support himself and his artist girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson). On the advice of an older worker, Cassius begins using a "white voice" (voiced by David Cross) and suddenly encounters a lot of success. As Cassius begins to rise in the ranks, he is put in a hard place between financial success and the unionization attempts of some of his co-workers (Jermaine Fowler and Steven Yeun).
I am so glad that I didn't know much about this film (aside from some positive word of mouth from trusted friends) going into it. The entire world of the movie is a heightened version of our own world, and I loved the exaggerations--both small and large--of aspects of our culture. We frequently see clips of a popular TV show, "I Had the Sh*t Beat Out of Me", in which contestants are simply assaulted for the enjoyment of the audience. One of the best aspects of the film is the way that some of these gags that seem as if they are throwaway jokes eventually come to play an important part of the plot.
It would be easy to assume, especially based on the plot summary, that the only commentary happening in this film is racial. And while it is true that race is an essential part of the plot, the overarching critique is actually based on class and the dynamic between citizens, workers, large corporations, and the government. At one point Cassius attends a party thrown by the company's founder. After an encounter with the party-goers (which I will not spoil, but which is certainly one of the funniest and most depressing moments of the film) leaves Cassius in despair, a fellow employee tells him, "There's no use being sad about what should be. We only have to take what we can with what is." The problem is not that Cassius can't be successful--it's about what he has to do and who he has to be to achieve that success.
The performances across the board are incredibly strong. Stanfield anchors the film as a man who is under pressure from all sides. We feel his anxiety over what he must do at work, but we also understand the allure of financial success. Thompson is strong as his girlfriend, Detroit, a woman who considers herself an activist and yet must pander to a wealthy white audience. I have also never really seen much of Steven Yeun, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how charismatic he is as a performer. I'd also give a nod to Omari Hardwick, as one of the other "high rollers" in the company who takes Cassius under his wing.
This is a film that is bold and weird. So often I didn't anticipate what was coming next, and that was really delightful. Broad cultural critiques can be hard, and I felt that the film really walked the line between telling a personal story and a larger one about social issues. I'm not entirely sure it stuck the landing, but it was a heck of a ride. This is the kind of film that makes you want to be sure you know when the creator's next film hits the theater.