‘Sorry to Bother You’ is definitely unique

Posted on July 27, 2018

By MARK VIOLA

In my review of “Skyscraper” last week, I mentioned the fact that it was the only major release in July that wasn’t either a sequel or an adaptation — and there was only one of the latter. While absolutely true, that doesn’t mean there isn’t originality to be found in summer cinema. You just have to look beyond the big-budgeted releases to find the unique creations.

In past years, such films have included “Safety Not Guaranteed” and “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” — two films I greatly enjoyed for being both entertaining movies in their own right and providing something quite different from the usual fare.

The most recent summer oddity I’ve seen is “Sorry to Bother You,” from first-time writer and director Boots Riley. It is a unique film that mixes social commentary, magical realism, surrealism and a handful of interesting characters to make something that I’ve had a really hard time finding any other film to compare it to.

Riley truly aims high in his first effort, and the result isn’t perfect — and does begin to go off the rails some in the third act — but I still have to give him a lot of credit for getting as close as he did. This is definitely not a film for everyone, and I’d recommend you watch the trailer — specifically the R-rated, redband trailer — before deciding whether this is a movie for you.

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