That latter loopy addition comes from on-the-lam Chinese factory worker Jianhu (Poppy Liu), who’s smuggled out a mysterious ring-shaped device that has three magical modes: deconstruction, teleportation, and acceleration. What that means in practice is it does whatever the story requires of it in the moment, justified with grad-school gobbledygook that blends theory and surrealism, delivered by a vape-ripping Eiza González. Need to slurp a showroom floor full of clothing, shooting it all back to the Chinese factory that originally assembled it? No problem, let’s give Wang Bing’s trilogy of textile worker documentaries a shot of adrenaline. Need to blast a bunch of protestors with a beam of radicalizing energy that explicitly evokes the water fired from the cannons deployed in 1963 Birmingham? Consider it sprayed. The messaging of I Love Boosters isn’t hard to grasp, but the blunt and energetic accessibility is part of the charm.

So is Riley’s sense of style, which is like a Marxist Pee-wee Herman run wild, weaponizing silliness of all flavors. When he’s driving, it’s all gas and no brakes, which means some choices are more overbearing than exhilerating—like the oppressive circus music from Tune-Yards (returning for their second Riley soundtrack) which sets the Danny Elfman-like tone, but drowns out a lot of Riley’s snappy dialogue. More successful is how deeply classic animation informs the filmmaker’s boisterous vision. From the whirlwind Looney Tunes legs of someone sprinting uphill, to the Ray Harryhausen creatures eventually closing in on its leads, to the Robot Chicken-like car chase, I Love Boosters moves with the excited energy of a kid playing with toys. Even here, the ambition can outpace the execution. This means that some of the larger set pieces feel janky and haphazardly put together, the live-action actors, self-consciously fakey fantasy elements, and CGI meant to stitch them together never quite meshing.

But I Love Boosters really flags when that visual friction gives way to slower moments of earnest interpersonal drama between its boosters. It’s not that the performers can’t sell this. Palmer, Ackie, and Paige are some of the most exciting Black actresses working today, with material more intelligent than is ever given to one Black lead, let alone three. But the goofball blitz that is the film’s plot doesn’t leave a lot of room for heart-to-hearts. Yet, what there is room for is more than capable of establishing a version of that closeness. Around the gags and music-video camera moves is a winning fantasy of international and interpersonal solidarity, one that cuts through personality clashes, conspiracy theories (skinsuits, paid actors, and one very good Candace Owens punchline turn up), get-rich-quick scams, and language barriers. It even beats out LaKeith Stanfield’s sexy, smooth-talking, soul-sucking demon.

Utilizing all this absurdity, this cartoon communism, these visual touchstones ranging from Katamari Damacy to Dr. Seuss, I Love Boosters returns to values based very much in reality. Feel-good genre freakouts don’t often revolve around unionization and general strikes, nor do they often cross cultures and continents to reaffirm that big business, not borders, is the problem. Like so many feel-good films, the false notes ring hollow despite the wacky and/or heartwarming images. But unlike basically every other feel-good film, I Love Boosters was made by Boots Riley, which means the other notes blow your hair back.

Director: Boots Riley
Writer: Boots Riley
Starring: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, Demi Moore
Release Date: May 22, 2026