Boots Riley’s first feature film, 2018’s Sorry to Bother You, was an auspicious and audacious debut that challenged viewers both with its subject matter and the visuals it contained. Even though it took eight years for him to put out his second film, Riley hasn’t lost his knack for outrageousness in the almost inexplicable I Love Boosters.

At its core, the movie is about three women - Corvette (Keke Palmer), Mariah (Taylour Paige), and Sade (Naomi Ackie) - who survive in the world by boosting (aka stealing) high-end fashion and reselling it for more affordable prices. In the surreal world in which the film takes place, their primary target is Metro Designers, a shop that deals in monochromatic clothes and is led by the eccentric CEO Christie Smith (Demi Moore).

The women’s felonious-but-low-stakes mission is up-ended by the appearance of Jianhu (Poppy Liu), who possesses a machine that shoplifts much better than they ever could. The only difference is that Jianhu is looking to expose the shoddy working conditions in the Chinese factories where Metro Designers’ clothes are made. Inspired, the women join forces on a quest that is as bizarre as it is righteous.

Riley, who both wrote and directed the film, loves his over-the-top visuals. There are eye-popping elements in almost every scene of the film, from the clothes in the Metro Designers stores to the oddly-slanted floors of Smith’s office to the bold masks worn by the group during one heist. Every weird thing on screen serves a purpose, though, even the transformation of Pinky Ring Guy (LaKeith Stanfield) from an object of Corvette’s desire into a soul-sucker with an unusual method.

While not quite as pointed as Sorry to Bother You, which had Black characters affecting “white” voices to be more appealing to the general public, the film does take aim at a variety of different social issues. The idea of wealth inequality is front-and-center, with Corvette and her friends forced to squat in an abandoned restaurant. The treatment of Chinese factory workers, fashion industry practices and excesses, and more crop up over the course of the film.

The latter half of the film gets crazier, if that’s even possible. Jianhu’s machine introduces sci-fi elements into the story, with the same circular contraption able to transport, disintegrate, and transform objects or people. Combined with the visuals and storyline, the film becomes something that is both wildly entertaining and also somewhat incomprehensible.

While the movie has a large cast, Palmer is inarguably the star. With her effervescent acting style and an overall inviting demeanor, she sells every bonkers turn the film takes. Each of the supporting actors gets a moment to shine, but Paige, Ackie, and Moore have the most impact. Stanfield is memorable in a creepy kind of way, but he’s been better in other films.

I Love Boosters is one of the more outlandish and interesting films to come out in 2026, a long-awaited return from Riley that demonstrates his strong storytelling and filmmaking voice. Even if it’s not clear exactly what’s happening at every turn, the acting and the audacity of the visuals keeps the film extremely watchable.

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I Love Boosters is now playing in theaters.