Sorry To Bother You is like an extended episode of Atlanta directed by Spike Jonze. And not just because of Lakeith Stanfield’s presence. This can be taken as both a compliment and a criticism. Director Boots Riley borrows the absurdist humor and magical realist environment from Spike Jonze. And from Donald Glover’s Atlanta, he borrows an underlying mysticism – where even the realest of reality seems shaky, and you’re constantly wondering if what you’re seeing is the actual surface, or if there’s a deeper, unexplainable layer of reality beneath everything just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. When that magic does reveal itself, it can make Sorry To Bother You a truly unique and special experience.

But with those glimpses of enchantment, you open yourself up to weakness too. Some elements of the plot and setting feel gimmicky at times. And when you spend a lot of time creating bizarre moments and narrative devices, you end up leaving other parts of the story and world underdeveloped. Tessa Thompson did everything she could to bring her character to life, but even the director himself admitted that the film did not pass the Bechdel Test.

Overall, this movie is satisfying in its weirdness, and should be commended for its complex metaphorical/allegorical ambitions. Lakeith Stanfield deserves credit for his role as well. He is the perfect actor for this character. This was Boots Riley’s directorial debut, and if his first film is any indication, he’s got a lot to say, and a lot of ways to say the things he wants to say. So I look forward to seeing what else he’s got to offer in the future, now that he’s gotten some experience under his belt.

This is the kind of movie that could end up growing on me the longer I think about it. I may revisit my opinions on this after more consideration. But this was a good film, both entertaining and thought-provoking. And how about that ending?

3.5 out of 5 stars