Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Movie Review

. . .or, How to Survive Your Hang Ups.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 24, 2018

Caller ID is one of the crowning technological achievements of our epoch, at least for those who (like I do) screen incoming calls and avoid “unknown” or “private” numbers like the plague. For those who don’t screen calls and have the temerity to answer each and every call, there can be a kind of stomach churning second or two of silence when answering many robo-calls, where either the recorded voice or an actual salesman can take just a moment to complete their connection, which may give perspicacious listeners just enough time to hang up before it’s too late. Years ago NPR ran a really funny story about a guy who started recording all of the telemarketing calls he received, where he would prank the would be salespeople to within an inch of their scripted lives. The segment played an absolutely hysterical recording where a carpet cleaning company contacted the guy, and the guy started out by asking, “Can you get blood out of carpeting?”, to which the helpful salesperson of course responded, “Yes.” The guy continued, “I don’t think you understand — can you get a lot of blood out of the carpeting? It’s also in the drapes and on the ceiling.” The “punch line” is that the salesperson called the Sheriff’s office on the guy. There’s something perhaps as sinister, if a bit less graphic, at play in the completely gonzo Sorry to Bother You, a film which takes a surreal look at the world of telemarketing, mixed in with a generous dose of social commentary and a rather potent subtext about workers’ rights. Sorry to Bother You comes off as a totally weird entry that kind of combines the unionizing subtext of On the Waterfront with a sort of Terry Gilliam-esque freewheeling presentational style that may make some viewers feel like they’ve snorted a mind altering substance that is featured rather prominently somewhat late in this tale of a hapless African American guy named Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) who is hired as a telemarketer for a company called Regal View (a company whose “product” is kind of cheekily never fully detailed), and who finds unexpected success when an older coworker named Langston (Danny Glover) advises the “youngblood” (as Langston calls him) to use his “white voice” when pitching to potential customers.

Note: There are a couple of elements mentioned in the following comments that may verge on spoiler territory for some. Also, I've included one screenshot in position 19 that plays into some of this. You won't see screenshot 19 unless you click on the Screenshots tab and then (on most monitors) scroll.

Playing out against the job trials of Cassius (whose nickname is "Cash", which, when combined with his surname -- well, you figure it out) is an ongoing and ultimately linked plot involving the other extreme of employment. First seen via some television ads, but then woven into the story in a more direct fashion, is a new paradigm called Worry Free, which trades all creature comforts including room, board and all the amentities, in exchange for a lifetime of work. An anarchist organization called Left Eye is rising in revolt of Worry Free, and those insurgents ultimately include Cash's girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson). Detroit also signs on as a part time worker at Regal View, where she and another worker named Squeeze (Steven Yeun) work to mobilize the workforce into a union. Cash initially seems to want to go along, but a sudden offer of a major promotion to a mysterious level of the organization known as Power Caller beckons, testing his loyalties. Let's just say he gives in to the lure of his own nickname.

As if this weren't enough to stuff the plot coffers until virtually bursting, a completely outré plot conceit appears once Cash is elevated to the ranks of the Power Caller and learns that he’s going to be involved with Worry Free. Without mentioning any outright giveaways, and with another indication that those curious or anxious about this element should either take a gander at or avoid screenshot 19, a kind of The Island of Dr. Moreau aspect intrudes (and, no, that’s not a joke). It’s all very weird in the long (and maybe even the short) run, and this particular element is also made even weirder by a presentational aspect that (forgive me) reminded me of a no budget version of Equus.

Sorry to Bother You is one of those sui generis offerings that I have a hunch is going to either be loved or hated, depending on the sensibilities of the viewer. While I mentioned Terry Gilliam above, there’s also a hint of Luis Buñuel here as well, both in terms of some of the surreal content but perhaps especially in terms of an at times scathing social commentary. The film is highlighted by a deadpan performance by Stanfield (whose “white voice” is essayed hilariously by David Cross), and the film has an almost bright and breezy aspect despite some extremely dark elements, including a locale that seems to be a (more? ) dystopian Oakland.

My colleague Brian Orndorf wasn't quite as won over by Sorry to Bother You as I was. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sorry to Bother You is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists the ever popular Arri Alexa as having digitally captured the imagery, and I'm once again assuming this was finished at a 2K DI, since the IMDb doesn't specify (as always, if anyone has authoritative information to the contrary, let me know and I'll update things). This is a highly stylized presentation, to the point that several sequences are just slathered in either odd lighting choices or grading techniques, so that quite a bit of the film can be almost psychedelic leaning at times. In the "normal" office environments, and in many outdoor scenes, the palette looks warm and natural, and detail levels are consistently very high, with good precision on things like Detroit's curly hair (and fashion forward earrings) or the ornate pattern on the enigmatic golden elevator doors that allow entrée into the ranks of the Power Callers. I was actually rather impressed with the relatively high levels of detail in even some of the tinted sequences, including a brief scene relatively early with Cash at a bar and some later material that is both dark and bathed in various tones. There are occasional lapses in fine detail and shadow definition in some of the darkest scenes in the film, but on the whole this is a bright and even at times rather bold looking presentation that pops quite vividly in high definition.

Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sorry to Bother You features a nice thumping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that offers a lot of Boots Riley material in his guise as a musician. There is really good immersion here throughout the many crowd scenes, whether those be the claustrophobic confines of the Regal View "drone" caller banks, or the gathered forces of the unionizing workers. The film has a playful presentational style where some of Cash's call "victims" are in the frame with him (sometimes with Cash crashing into their lives), and some of these segues feature enjoyable sound effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly throughout, and the track has no problems with distortion or other issues.

Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with Director Boots Riley


• Beautiful Clutter with Director Boots Riley (1080p; 11:55) is an appealing interview with the director, who speaks the film's patently unique style and subject matter.


• Promotional Trailers

  The Cast of Sorry to Bother You (1080p; 1:52)

  
  

  The Art of the White Voice (1080p; 2:03)

• Gallery (1080p; 2:05) features either an Auto Advance or a Manual Advance mode. The timing is for the Auto Advance mode.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:28)

Sorry to Bother You Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's no getting around the fact that Sorry to Bother You kind of starts at "11" (so to speak) and then goes completely gonzo beyond that, especially in a second half that teeters precariously near to complete chaos. That said, I was really struck with how unique this film is in terms of writing, performance and stylized presentation, and that allowed me personally to overlook what some may feel are questionable and even needless moments. In a way it may be salient to compare this film to two others that featured "transformations" of a sort, namely The Lobster and (perhaps especially) Tusk. If you liked either or both of those films, you probably have a leg (and/or hoof) up on some who may come to this film "uninitiated". Technical merits are fine, and Sorry to Bother You comes Recommended.