DVD Corner

I Love Boosters 4K UHD Review

“I Love Boosters” is a bold original that falls apart in the final act.

No, “I Love Boosters” is not about booster shots. Instead, it’s a Bay Area set sci-fi crime comedy revolving around The Velvet Gang- a group of shoplifters who mainly target the Metro Designers chain of stores. The gang (which is made up of Corvette, Sade, and Mariah) are just struggling to get by in the world while Corvette has ambitions of becoming a fashion designer herself. Corvette greatly admires the work of Christie Smith who created Metro Designers. At one point she even meets her idol, but things turn sour when she discovers Christie has ripped off one of her ideas. The Velvet Gang plot a major heist to wipe out a Metro Designers store while acting as employees, but they soon encounter another thief (Jianhu). Jianhu actually works at a Metro Designers factory and is fighting for better pay and working conditions. She also is using a high tech teleportation device which enables speedy thefts and is also able to deconstruct things. The two parties decide to work together and target Christie’s fashion show, but things get super complicated (to say the least).

It’s safe to say that at this juncture writer/director Boots Riley is a true original and an auteur. He first helmed the cult hit “Sorry To Bother You” and later did my personal favorite of his work “I’m A Virgo” (a TV series). His latest project “I Love Boosters” is a wild, zany, and unpredictable feature that has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, it goes completely off the rails.

“I Love Boosters” starts out as a unique and colorful story about class, art, labor, and affordability, but Boots Riley gets lost in his own imagination. It’s clear there are enough ideas here for multiple films which is sort of the problem. ‘Boosters’ gets a bit too unfocused and strange for its own good with plots about a demon, skinless beings, teleportation devices, and skin suits. Yes, you read that right. While Riley deserves credit for originality (something that is always worth celebrating in cinema), you can’t help but wish the third act was a bit more stable.

Visually, the film is a triumph. The wild and meticulous sets, the elaborate costumes, and the fantastic stop-motion animation really make this film a feast for the eyes. You definitely see every dollar of the budget on screen.

You can’t ask for a better cast here as it features the likes of Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, Naomi Ackie, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Eliza Gonzalez, Taylour Paige, Don Cheadle, Poppy Liu, and more. Palmer does a fine job leading the film, Eliza Gonzalez scene steals, Will Poulter expertly plays a very different role than usual, and LaKeith Stanfield is amusingly bizarre as the demon.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? The transfer is as bright and colorful as you hoped it would be. 

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The lively 5.1 track packs a punch.

Extras:

* Blu-ray copy
* 4 TV spots, a teaser, and a trailer.
* Still gallery
* 3 interviews. One with Boots Riley and LaKeith Stanfield, one with Keke Palmer and Demi Moore and one with The Velvet Gang.
* Commentary by Boots Riley
* A blooper reel
* “The Making Of I Love Boosters”- A 32 minute collection of fascinating behind-the-scenes footage. 

September 22, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Boots Riley, Demi Moore, I Love Boosters 4K UHD Review, Keke Palmer