In the year of the Netflix TV Show Maniac, another absurdist title stole critics’ hearts. Sorry to Bother You is a movie set in an alternate reality, where capitalism and greed are accentuated. Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta) is a guy called Cassius who struggles to pay his bills. However, when at a tele-marketing job an old-timer tells him to use a “white voice”, he starts moving up the ranks of his bizarre society. A really smart movie that will be mostly enjoyed by those who watch it for its entertaining value, and not so much for its commentary. It is like a Black Mirror episode stretched into a movie.
"[The] critique, ultimately, is a moral reversal, one that has less to do with making the white man a stereotype than with giving the black one a sense of self."
— Doreen St. Felix
"This palpably handmade movie doesn't reach out, and nor does it engage in chin stroking: instead, it extends a middle finger."
— Adam Nayman
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
DGA
1 nomination
Spirit Awards
1 win, 1 nomination
Sundance
1 nomination
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
Weird, thought provoking, and super engaging. Wish they had stopped the movie a little earlier but still am going to recommend this movie.