Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’: A Marxist Satire on Fashion Exploitation Premieres at SFIFF

Just days before May Day—International Workers’ Day—I attended the West Coast premiere of activist-writer-director Boots Riley’s sophomore film, I Love Boosters, at Oakland’s historic Grand Lake Theatre.

The 100-year-old movie palace, which closed on May Day in solidarity with workers’ rights, proved an apt venue for Riley’s star-studded satire. As the centerpiece of the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), where Riley debuted as a director in 2018 with Sorry to Bother You, the theater was packed. A long line of eager moviegoers stretched outside, hoping to snag last-minute tickets.

Like Riley’s debut, Boosters—a title shared with a 2006 track from his hip-hop group The Coup’s album Pick a Bigger Weapon—delivers a sharp critique of capitalism, this time targeting the fashion industry. Riley’s lens exposes the hidden layers of exploitation within the supply chain. The film follows Corvette (Keke Palmer), a stylish shoplifter—or “booster”—and her crew as they clash with an eccentric designer played by Demi Moore.

True to form, Riley weaves surrealism, sci-fi, and supernatural elements into the narrative, including teleportation machines and demons, all underpinned by Marxist philosophy.

“Pointing out the problem is not enough, although I might enjoy those movies… we need something that makes people want to join a movement that can win.”

After the credits rolled, Riley and cast members Eiza González, Poppy Liu, and LaKeith Stanfield took the stage for a Q&A. When asked about his initial reaction to the script, Stanfield shared that he knew Boosters would “push the art form forward” and address a pressing social issue:

“This social issue that I think we’re having trouble with, which is unity. We have to challenge these structures above us, and we’re only going to be able to do it together.”

The next day, while walking through downtown San Francisco, I spotted a small plane dragging a banner that read, “STOP HIRING HUMANS.” The message felt like a perfect fit for Riley’s dystopian, cartoonish worlds—perhaps why his films resonate so deeply in our late-stage capitalist reality.

Shortly after, I sat down with Riley to discuss his inspirations, the state of socially conscious cinema, and I Love Boosters, which hits theaters on May 22. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Reflecting on the Grand Lake Theatre Premiere

“Well, Grand Lake Theatre—I’ve gone since I was a kid. I saw so many formative movies there. And since Sorry to Bother You, they did so well with it, they gave…”