The first time I saw a commercial for the film Sorry to Bother You, I didn’t even realize I was watching a movie trailer. I thought it was just a short clip making fun of white people. I kinda ignored it until a friend of mine told me that the guy from The Coup was involved. As soon as I found out it was created by Boots Riley, my attention was recaptured. The film shares its title with The Coup’s latest album, which was released back in 2012. I have yet to listen to that project, so I’m not really sure how much it has in common with the movie, but it’ll be interesting to see any similarities between the two different pieces of art in different mediums. The more promotion I saw for the movie, the more I knew I needed to check it out.

I’m gonna try not to give too much away about this movie because I definitely don’t wanna spoil it, but one thing you have all probably already heard is that it’s a very “weird” film. That was the common label that had me most excited, but I gotta say… This… This motherfucker Boots Riley went WAAAY farther with the weirdness than I was expecting, even with all the warnings I heard. The first two acts of the movie are cool enough, but the third segment… Man… This shit was fucking absurd. That’s a good thing in my opinion though. I loved how bizarre it was. However, the girl I went to see it with made it pretty clear that it was too “ridiculous” for her. I think she was simply taking the film too seriously. She said it lost all credibility during the third act. It was super strange, shocking, and honestly kind of disturbing, so I see how it could rub some viewers the wrong way. There’s no way you’ll be bored by this film though. My eyes were glued to the screen the entire time.

The running joke of the “white voice” will offend you if you’re stupid. I think it’s pretty clever. Basically to utilize the “white voice,” you have to sound as friendly and easygoing as possible. Oh, and “American.” That’s the most important part. The whole concept of literally selling power is super interesting. The movie’s kind of fucked up. It’s rated R for a reason. There are moments where dong is hung. I wouldn’t see it with a family member. It could get awkward. It’s definitely the most interesting movie I’ve seen this year though. I definitely recommend this shit. It’s really dope.

The Coup released a promotional single for the movie entitled Oyahytt, and it actually features Lakeith Stanfield rapping. It’s a decent song; it certainly sounds “promotional” though. A lot of movie soundtracks have kind of a commercialized sound, and that’s definitely the case with this track. I wasn’t pleased by the loud, electric guitar driven production. Boots rapped well on it though, and Lakeith’s flow was surprisingly tight. It serves it’s purpose. It’s a helpful way to market the movie in my opinion. I just won’t be listening to it again. It played as the credits rolled.

I know I didn’t really talk about the actual story that much, but I’d rather just give my opinion than tell you what happens in the film. It’s a really captivating motion picture from a super talented artist. It’s definitely not something you’re gonna wanna miss.

A-