I Love Boosters
May 20th, 2026
MOVIE: I LOVE BOOSTERS
STARRING: KEKE PALMER, TAYLOUR PAIGE, NAOMI ACKIE, DEMI MOORE,
LAKEITH STANFIELD, EIZA GONZÁLEZ
DIRECTED BY: BOOTS RILEY
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 4 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 105 MINUTES
In 2026, a voice as vibrant and boisterous as Boots Riley’s is a beautiful thing, something I wish more artists possessed. The director of Sorry to Bother You burst onto the scene with his 2018 breakout not necessarily because it was his greatest movie- truthfully, I’m still not entirely sure I’ve processed that film correctly- but because his voice was so loud, inventive, and singular that his outlandish satire demanded attention. His follow-up, I Love Boosters, is a mixture of comedy, heist drama, and pointed commentary on fashion, art, and class warfare. It delivers everything you expect from a Boots Riley film, only this time the message is sharper, the style entirely his own, and the result worthy of being called a masterpiece. I Love Boosters deserves every bit of praise it receives.
The story wastes no time introducing its world. Mariah (Taylour Paige) and Sade (Naomi Ackie) burst out of a Metro Designers store with more clothes stuffed into their arms and pockets than anyone could realistically carry. Waiting behind the wheel is Corvette (Keke Palmer), the group’s fearless leader and the mastermind behind boosting designer clothing from fashion icon Christie Smith (Demi Moore) in hopes of striking back against high-priced fashion culture. Through a variety of increasingly elaborate schemes, the women become modern-day Robin Hoods, stealing from the ultra-rich and reselling the goods through underground channels for profit.
What immediately grabs the viewer is the film’s aesthetic. Explosions of green, red, yellow, and orange drape every character in striking, artistic fashion. Puffy fur coats, oversized hats, and extravagant accessories make these personalities feel larger than life. The entire visual language screams Boots Riley. And if the sensory overload threatens to become too much, Riley balances it with writing that is smart, witty, and razor-sharp, blending impeccable comedic timing into a heist movie unlike any other.
In the second half, I Love Boosters takes a surprisingly sharp turn into science fiction territory as the crew discovers a way to steal clothing at astonishing speed. The ensemble expands as Eiza González’s Violeta joins the operation, while LaKeith Stanfield plays a male model who becomes the object of Corvette’s affection. Then an almost unrecognizable Don Cheadle appears as a self-help guru who may be far more dangerous than he initially seems. With so many characters, tonal pivots, and unpredictable developments, lesser filmmakers would lose control of the story. Riley, however, thrives in the chaos, constantly directing your attention one way before blindsiding you with something entirely unexpected.
The sheer creativity and razor-sharp messaging of I Love Boosters make it one of the most memorable films of 2026. Palmer is phenomenal from start to finish, building on the charm she displayed in One of Them Days while giving Corvette a deeply compelling arc about the struggle of being an artist in a world designed to push people like her aside. Yet the film’s greatest triumph is the full arrival of Boots Riley as a master filmmaker. He blends sharp comedy, stop-motion animation, hyperkinetic editing, and fearless political commentary into something unmistakably his own. What more can I say? I Love Boosters.
4 STARS
I LOVE BOOSTERS IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, MAY 22ND, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
