Sorry 2 Bother You: A Trojan Horse on Cash, Capitalism and Consumerism

I saw Sorry To Bother You a few weeks ago and it still resonates with me.

The film stars Lakeith Stanfield as Cassius Green (as in cash-is-green) and Tessa Thompson as Detroit, who is Cassius’ girlfriend. We see the two of them in the beginning living in the garage of Cassius’ uncle played by Terry Crews.

Cassius gets a job as a telemarketer and we quickly see the role that his newfound job plays in his life and his relationship with Detroit. After struggling initially in his new role as a telemarketer, Cassius gets a tip from a co-worker to use his ‘white voice’ and his career takes off from there. He goes from the new guy at his job to breaking records and eventually gets promoted to the secretive Power Caller club upstairs. That’s where we see things begin to take a turn for Cassius.

Sorry To Bother You comes out at an interesting time in America. At a time when corporate profits are increasing, but middle class incomes are stagnating, the film provides an interesting take on what it means to move up the corporate ladder. Directed by Oakland native Boots Riley, S2BY definitely has a pro worker/man against the machine type of vibe.

We see Cassius’ co-workers attempt to unionize while he himself is experiencing personal success; meanwhile his relationship with his girlfriend Detroit, becomes somewhat strained in the process. Detroit herself is an artist who uses her art in a very interesting manner to bring attention to the serious issue of the mineral coltan and the Democractic Republic of Congo later on in the film. We witness Cassius struggle with his new found wealth and appeal up until he finds out what his company is really selling.

Sorry To Bother You is a witty and engaging film with some serious themes just below the surface. It is definitely worth your money (even in New York, where seeing a movie these days is by no means cheap) and I think most people will enjoy it. Whether it’s by car, train, or on horseback, go see this film.