Fashion. Forward. Philanthropy: A Review of I Love Boosters
The Crime Comedy Fashion Heist You Didn't Know You Needed - And it Comes With a Sci-Fi Twist on the Side!
In terms of film and media, 2026 has been nothing short of excellent – and I Love Boosters is amongst the greats of the year so far. Directed by Boots Riley, rapper turned filmmaker, I Love Boosters lands as his second feature film following 2018’s Sorry To Bother You. It comes as a surprise that this is only his second film, as it shows how well a director can do if given the resources to do it.
I Love Boosters follows Corvette (Keke Palmer), an amateur fashion designer who boosts high fashion garments to make a living. With the help of her two friends Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylor Paige), they steal from the clothing stores of fashion icon and business mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore)
Despite the script of the film leaning more towards crime/comedy, it takes a drastic 180 once Jianhu (Poppy Liu) joins in on the fun. As another booster in her “own boosting gang”, Jianhu uses a teleporting machine to get her own fair share! Together they work together to bring down Christie Smith and show everyone the truth behind her intentions. I Love Boosters is truthfully a Science Fiction movie hidden underneath its crime-comedy script.
What immediately grabs viewers is the aesthetic of the film. The color blocking in this film is something that will sit with viewers throughout the entire run time. Metro Designers, Christie Smith’s design brand, chooses a singular color to be the entire color palette of the in-store locations for an entire month. Colors like green, red, yellow and orange explode on the screen; giving the brain something to react to at every point in the movie.
With this comes the outfits worn by the characters. High fashion glamour is an understatement in this film. The expression in each outfit worn is difficult to put into words. There is a sequence in the film where each frame shows the characters in different outfits, and the artistic styling of these outfits is truly stunning. We even get to see Keke Palmer in full Harajuku glam!
The film takes a huge swing in terms of visual storytelling. It’s a pendulum swinging between reality and a dream – all told through Corvette’s point of view. While this can be difficult to engage with, it does a good job masking its political messaging in these “dream” moments. Whether it’s a massive ball chasing Corvette throughout the film or Sade and Corvette having a 30-second work break where they speed to grab a drink – each moment has a deeper message than what is being shown.
Boots has always stated that his art’s purpose is to “instigate class struggle” and this movie does not shy away from that. The dynamic of these people stealing clothes from someone who constantly steals from the working class is a loop that is quite relatable to today’s world. The film has a strong message of people working together to bring down what seem to be unstoppable forces, and how art can be the driving factor that brings change forward. This movie has anti-capitalist messaging all throughout it and it is not afraid to show it!
Simply put, this movie was amazing. Creativity is overflowing in I Love Boosters – different artistic specialties like fashion design, comedy and even stop motion all come together to make this great film. This movie is recommended to anyone who enjoys a good laugh but can handle a story that goes a bit off the rails. The best way to describe it is if Invasion of the Body Snatchers or any other classic sci-fi film, came together and had a kid with The Devil Wears Prada. This one is absolutely worth watching, but make sure it is in a theater!