--- title: "I Love Boosters: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/i-love-boosters/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/i-love-boosters" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # I Love Boosters (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 15 reviews: 11 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics come away won over. The praise gathers around the same things: the handmade sight gags, the loud production design and effects, and Boots Riley’s decision to put pro-union, anti-consumerist politics inside a fashion-heist comedy rather than a lecture. The ensemble is admired across the board, with Keke Palmer singled out repeatedly for a performance that is physically nimble and grounded enough to hold the film steady, and Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige noted alongside her. The reservations are about excess. Even the warmest reviews call the film overstuffed, and the cooler ones find it scattershot, with thin characters, uneven dialogue and a second half whose science-fiction turns Den of Geek says make the script buckle. The spread is wide. The New Yorker calls its resolutions hand-waving and Vulture calls the whole thing a mess, and the reviews from the festival premiere run noticeably warmer than those published closer to release. ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2026. A maximalist delight full of practical sight gags and handmade craft that spins societal critique into maniacal physical comedy. Riley smuggles revolutionary ideas about labor and inequality into an exuberant, absurdist romp. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-05-21/i-love-boosters-review-boots-riley-keke-palmer-demi-moore-lakeith-stanfield) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2026. Festival review. The critic calls the SXSW premiere a wild, weird, and delightfully unique anti-capitalist satire that is blisteringly funny and joyfully rousing, praising its surreal realities, visual creativity, and hopeful tone while noting it can feel overstuffed. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/i-love-boosters-review-keke-palmer-boots-riley-demi-moore-1236529169/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2026. Festival review. The critic finds Boots Riley’s fast-fashion satire imaginatively outlandish and visually loud, with a pro-union story that will appeal to fans of his earlier work despite occasional narrative overload. A strong ensemble cast, led by Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige, holds together the spasmodic vision. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/i-love-boosters-review-keke-palmer-naomi-ackie-and-taylour-paige-anchor-boots-rileys-anarchic-sxsw-opener/5214783.article) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2026. Festival review. The film is a spirited, out-there cosmic send-up of fashion consumerism that is more fun than Riley's debut but doesn't always cohere. It invites viewers to enjoy its playful provocation and the quippy camaraderie of its stars. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/i-love-boosters-review-keke-palmer-boots-riley-sxsw-1236684495/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2026. The review calls the film a mixed bag: outrageously funny and militant in its absurdist political satire on capitalism and shoplifting as resistance, but too scattershot and distancing to fully land. It praises the brash humor, sight gags, heist scenes, and ensemble performances while noting that characters feel limited and defined mainly by their place in the messaging. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/19/i-love-boosters-review-boots-riley) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2026. The critic finds the film colorful, gonzo, and visually ecstatic but ultimately an absolute mess, faulting its shallow characterization, leaden dialogue, and lack of emotional depth that undermines the political messaging despite strong production design and effects. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-i-love-boosters-is-colorful-gonzo-and-a-total-mess.html) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2026. An exuberantly inventive but overstretched comedy about the redistribution of luxury goods that piles on genres, plotlines and hyperbolic socialist-surrealist fantasies. It features vivid characters and colorful visual flair but relies too often on hand-waving resolutions. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/06/01/i-love-boosters-movie-review) ## Deadline — Glenn Garner Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2026. Festival review. Riley knocks it out of the park with another absurdist, stylized take on modern society that successfully captures the hopelessness of capitalist dystopia. Palmer's grounded performance anchors the writing, complemented by strong supporting turns from Ackie and Paige. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/03/i-love-boosters-review-keke-palmer-boots-riley-1236746447/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 8/10. 13 March 2026. Festival review. The critic calls it an ambitious, odd, and timely film of unlimited imagination that mostly succeeds in its cohesion and cleverness, feeling essential in 2026. They single out the vibrant, bold, and inventive direction with visually stunning choices and the committed ensemble cast. [Read the review](https://collider.com/i-love-boosters-review-keke-palmer-boots-riley-sxsw/) ## /Film — Bill Bria Rating 8/10. 19 May 2026. The critic praises the film as a delirious and hilarious satire that blends genre elements effectively while retaining Boots Riley's distinctive socially conscious voice. They highlight its visual innovation and crowd-pleasing qualities despite some structural unevenness. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2176349/i-love-boosters-movie-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Nathan McVay Rating 4/5. 19 March 2026. Festival review. The critic finds the film bold, original, and unapologetically fresh, with strong performances and dynamic visuals that elevate its story of boosting and class commentary. They note it delivers effective, accessible satire on consumerism and inequality. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/i-love-boosters-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2026. Festival review. The critic calls it a wildly original, imaginative anti-capitalist satire that provokes discussion through its layered narrative on the fashion industry and working-class struggles. They single out its visual engagement, strong cast, and willingness to blend silliness with serious themes. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/i-love-boosters-review-boots-riley-takes-on-the-fashion-industry-with-biting-anti-capitalist-comedy-sxsw-20260313/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2026. Festival review. Riley delivers an uproarious, emotional anti-capitalist romp that is his most character-attuned work yet. Palmer's captivating, energetic performance provides both comedic spark and needed emotional heft amid the satire and surreal elements. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/reviews/i-love-boosters-review-keke-palmer-boots-riley/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2026. The critic notes that the film clothes leftist labor politics in hyper-stylized commercial filmmaking and questions whether its message remains effective. They praise its buoyant tone and vibrant agitprop style while highlighting Keke Palmer's graceful physical performance amid hit-and-miss dialogue and thinly sketched characters. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2026/05/22/movies/i-love-boosters-review-boots-riley-keke-palmer-demi-moore) ## Den of Geek — Alec Bojalad Rating 3.5 out of 5. 13 March 2026. Festival review. The critic praises the film's vibrant style, fashion elements, cast chemistry (especially Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, LaKeith Stanfield), and Riley's consistent surreal political satire in the first half, but complains that the sci-fi twists in the second half make the script buckle, with characters disappearing and a too-simple conclusion. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/i-love-boosters-review-boots-riley/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/i-love-boosters.md