I LOVE BOOSTERS: a (brief?) return to joy in American independent film
Boots Riley swings for the fences with the fusion of an audacious color palette, mix-and-match genres, and just a touch of dialectical materialism.
Scroll down for Now Showing in Madison, May 26–June 1, 2026
Tuesday weekly posts feature some short notes on various cinematic topics, followed by the Now Showing in Madison guide to commercial theaters and alternative venues.
Not everything has to work to be great.
If I put a little more thought into it, I could come up with a list of moments and ideas that don’t really work in Boots Riley’s fashion heist comedy / social satire I Love Boosters. But I found myself smiling, and often laughing out loud, at many of these ideas because Riley is perfectly willing to throw a lot of pasta at the wall to see what sticks. And even what doesn’t stick is always thought provoking in an era when independent film often takes itself far too seriously.
In the moment, I Love Boosters was one of the most enjoyable movie going experiences I’ve had in a while. And overall I think the film is best viewed as a series of great scenes rather than as a coherent three-act narrative within a particular genre.
“Boosters” are shoplifters who sell the clothes they steal at a deep discount. The central conflict in the film sets a group of boosters, The Velvet Gang, led by Corvette (Keke Palmer) against legendary designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore) and her Metro Designers chain of high fashion clothing stores. The Velvet’s scheme to hit one particular Metro Designers location is undermined when the entire inventory is stolen by a mysterious woman and a “magic bag.” The magic bag turns out to be a teleportation device stolen by Jianhu (Poppy Liu), a Chinese sweatshop worker who has teleported to the United States to plot revenge against Christie Smith for Smith’s inhumane labor practices in her Chinese factories.
And I should mention that Corvette may or may not be seduced by a mysterious and handsome man (LaKeith Stanfield) who is rumored to suck out a woman’s soul during oral sex. Stanfield’s character, the teleporter, and a third act reveal provided far more supernatural and science fiction elements than I expected going into the film. But I wouldn’t call I Love Boosters science fiction. These elements are just part of the mix that (more or less) make sense within the flow of the film.
Needless to say, there are a lot of ideas flowing in I Love Boosters. Not all of these ideas are fully developed or pay off beyond one scene. In fact, even the central idea of boosting, reselling the goods at a discount, is more-or-less dropped after the first scene where Corvette brings a man home from the club and sells him some shoes (when the man was expecting sex). Boosting after that scene focuses on the theft side of the process, with more elaborate and absurd heist schemes.
But I didn’t really care about the plot of I Love Boosters, because I had as much fun watching it as Boots Riley and his cast seem to have had making it. While plot ideas are not fully developed, many visual gags are developed to explore the logic of their premise. The key example here is the Metro Designers headquarters, and Christie Smith’s corporate office. Can describing an office count as a spoiler? In this case, yes it can, so I’ll leave it alone so that you can discover it yourself.
It’s interesting to compare the experience of the film to watching work by other stylistically flamboyant directors. I Love Boosters has the audacious color palette of Wes Anderson, with joyful playfulness instead of rigid formalism. It has the in-your-face style of (old-school) Sam Raimi without the gore. It has the cartoony feel of Tim Burton (or Frank Tashlin) without the so-white casting. But even after the success of Sorry to Bother You and now I Love Boosters, Riley probably will not be discussed with any depth in terms of visual style. I hope I’m wrong about that.
I Love Boosters may be the funniest film to include a literal explanation of dialectical materialism. The anti-corporate and pro-labor themes in the film are presented a little too broadly to have real bite. And issues of representation are not completely resolved by the diverse casting—the Asian characters in the film easily could have come from a 1980s comedy. But there was something exhilarating about watching an American indie comedy with an ambitious sense of style and a brain in its head.
Now Playing In Madison: May 26–June 1, 2026
Please confirm showtimes with the venues (follow venue links where provided). The commercial theaters update their weekend listings on Wednesdays. Another valuable source that posts on Wednesdays with now playing lists is The Horizon Line Madison. When possible, I will provide links to reviews by Rob Thomas at Not That Rob Thomas, who gets around to far more proper reviews than I do.
Comments here are not reviews of the films, they are usually a response to the trailer, a summary of the buzz I have heard, or just snark. They are not always particularly accurate, according to reader feedback. I add trailers to new films of interest that you might not know about (American indies, international features, etc.).
WUD Film Lakeside Cinema
Lakeside Cinema, Monday nights at the Memorial Union Terrace, returns June 1 with Space Jam. Monthly themes will be “Sports” (June), “Under the Lake,” (July), “Back to the 80’s” (August).
SPACE JAM, The Terrace @ Memorial Union, Monday, 6/1, 9:00 P.M.
C-FAM at Marcus Point Cinemas
The Children’s Film Academy of Madison will screen three of their recent short productions on Monday, June 1, 6:30pm at Marcus Point.
SMALL TOWN ROCK STARS is a coming-out story set in 1980s Racine, Wisconsin. WRESTLING is about a girl who grew up in the Mormon faith and becomes a high school wrestler. LEGEND OF THE PADDLE FISH was made in collaboration with Friends of the Lower Wisconsin River Way.
Commercial Theaters:
AMC Theatres
Flix Brewhouse
Marcus Theatres (Palace and Point)
AMC SCREEN UNSEEN: JUNE 1 at AMC.
BACKROOMS at AMC, Palace, Point.
I assume that most people reading this know the history behind the “Backrooms” meme, and its connection to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. But you can read a quick summary of that history in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.1Meanwhile, this has all (or most) of the hallmarks of another potential A24 hit.
BREADWINNER, THE at AMC, Palace, Point.
I know what you’ve all been thinking: can comedian Nate Bargatze carry a feature film comedy? Well, we’ll all find out after The Breadwinner opens on Friday.
CHAND MERA DIL at AMC.
Indian Hindi-language romantic drama starring Ananya Panday and Lakshya.
CORPORATE RETREAT at AMC, Palace, Point.
Horror film (veering into broad social satire) that appears to tap into everyone’s contempt for corporate culture.
DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, THE at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
GODZILLA MINUS ONE at AMC.
Re-release of 2023 film which managed to win an Oscar for special effects. I actually liked this film quite a bit, but my preference of recent Godzilla films remains Shin Godzilla (2016).
I LOVE BOOSTERS at AMC, Palace, Point.
See my comments, above. The upshot: go see it. Crime comedy from rapper/filmmaker Boots Riley, lead vocalist of The Coup, whose Sorry to Bother You (2018) was a surprise hit. Also read Rob Thomas’s review.
IN THE GREY at AMC, Palace, Point.
If you have been to any film in any theater in the last month or so, there is a very good chance that you’ve seen this trailer for the latest Guy Ritchie action drama starring Henry Cavil, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eliza Gonzalez. Might be fun, but appears to be getting mediocre to negative reviews.
IS GOD IS at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
I seem to have had the wrong impression about this in my original Now Playing comments…it is actually getting some decent reviews, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes in fact. It still seems a bit over the top, but I’m intrigued.
LEGALLY BLONDE 25TH ANNIVERSARY at AMC, Flix, Point.
MAY CONTAIN: MY LIFE at AMC.
Documentary about the dangers associate with living with food allergies.
METROPOLITAN OPERA, THE: EL ÚLTIMO SUEÑO DE FRIDA Y DIEGO at Palace, Point.
MICHAEL at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Apparently people didn’t know how much they needed a Michael Jackson music-filled bio-pic that doesn’t go beyond the Bad tour in 1988. I guess that makes sense to someone my age, I seem to recall disliking almost everything in the Michael Jacksons ouvre after (and including) Scorsese’s Bad video. As of this writing, Michael is the fourth-highest grossing film of 2026.
MORTAL KOMBAT II at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
OBSESSION at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Horror film with the ol’ Be Careful What You Wish For theme. Young man buys a supernatural toy and wishes that his crush would fall hopelessly in love with him. Dude, you know you should have added “while respecting ourselves as individuals and providing sufficient space when needed.” This seems to be getting a strong response from viewers beyond horror fans.
PASSENGER at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Supernatural horror film about a young couple on a road trip who are pursued by a demonic stalker. That old saw. Latest film from André Øvredal (Trollhunter 2016, Voyage of the Demeter 2023).
PRESSURE at AMC, Palace, Point.
Adaptation of a play by David Haig, about the meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott) who advises General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) on whether or not to proceed with the D-Day invasion.
PROJECT HAIL MARY at AMC, Flix, Point.
REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA at AMC, Palace, Point.
Documentary narrated by Tom Selleck. Produced by Hillsdale Studios, which is associated with Hillsdale College, the Christian liberal arts college in Michigan. A Fathom Events release.
SACCHARINE at AMC.
Australian supernatural horror film, which had its world premiere in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Co-distributed by Independent Film Company and Shudder.
SHEEP DETECTIVES, THE at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Okay, I have no idea if this is any good. Word-of-mouth so far is that it is seems to be better than the first impressions I had from the trailer. In fact, several friends have said that they enjoyed it on social media. But does it need a New Yorker think-piece from Jill Lepore (who just won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for History) titled, “What ‘The Sheep Detectives’ Doesn’t Understand About Sheep”? Someone behind the paywall can tell me if it is worth it.
SHREK 25TH ANNIVERSARY at AMC.
STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Well, here’s some more if you want it.
SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE, THE at AMC, Palace, Point.
TEKKONKINKREET 20TH ANNIVERSARY at AMC and Point.
A 4K remaster of the 2006 anime feature film based on the manga of the same name (originally published 1993-94).
TOP GUN 40TH ANNIVERSARY at Palace, Point.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK RE-RELEASE at Point.
You know, when I finally caught up with this, I really regretted not having seen it on a big screen. I’m not quite sure if I’ll take the time to do so this particular week, but it is very tempting.
TUNER at AMC, Palace, Point.
Read Rob Thomas’s review here. Watch Rob and I discuss Tuner in a video to be posted on Wednesday.
VANISHING POINT at AMC.
Chinese crime suspense drama about a series of disturbing incidents at a usually quiet apartment building.
Have you used the Now Showing in Madison listings at least once to find something interesting to see? Have you discovered a film that you didn’t realize was playing in town? Please consider supporting these efforts directly by clicking the “Buy Me a Popcorn” button and making a modest donation on those occasions when you find this resource valuable to your moviegoing in Madison.
Looking Ahead:
Local filmmaker Michael Doyle Olson has started what he hopes to be a comprehensive, collaborative public calendar of alternative film screenings in Madison. It is still a work in progress, but check it out at www.mdo.me/film.
Wisconsin 48 Hour Film Project
THE WISCONSIN 48 B.O.W.s (Best of Weekend), Sunday, June 7, 1:00pm, Crucible Madison, 3112 Commercial Avenue.
The 48hr Film Project folks will screen the films produced back on the weekend of May 17 that have advanced to the “Yes We Cannes” competition.
Mills Folly Microcinema
OUR PSYCHEDELIC NATURE: SHORT FILMS BY EMILY PELSTRING, Wednesday, June 10, 7:00pm at Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S. Livingston Street, Suite 100.
Mills Folly Microcinema welcomes Canadian artist and animator Emily Pelstring for an in-person visit and screening of her recent work.
UW Cinematheque
UW Cinematheque will resume with “Bleak Week” from Wednesday, June 24 through Tuesday, June 30.
The remaining summer schedule is now posted at the UW-Cinematheque website.
Side Room Cinematheque
Consult Instagram @sideroomcinematic for screening details, second Thursday of the month, and last Monday of the month.
Cinesthesia at Madison Public Library Central Branch
MIDNIGHT COWBOY (Joh , 1993), Wednesday May 20, 6:30pm.
In the comments, Gretta Wing Miller points out that the MJS link is behind a paywall for some people. A more comprehensive deep dive into the Backrooms history can be found at this PBS YouTube video:
Well said on BOOSTERS! I felt like I had stayed out for one more round than I should have with one of the funniest and most interesting people I know. https://notthatrobthomas.substack.com/p/boots-riley-fashions-a-wicked-satire
I don’t know the ‘backroom’ meme, and MJS has a paywall, so could you just tell us what it is? 😃