(Originally published on Blogcritics.org)
Opening nights at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals rarely disappoint. The 2026 edition of South By was no exception as Keke Palmer and Demi Moore (Landman, The Substance) empowered an amazing work by writer/director Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You, I’m a Virgo). I was reminded of the SXSW 2022 premiere of Everything Everywhere All at Once because of the mind-bending nature of the film.
The world premiere of this genre-bender was part of the 40th year of SXSW, which included 96 features with multiple world, international, and North American premieres
I Love What?
Before seeing the film, I had no idea of the slang meaning of “booster”. We’re not talking about help for your immunization or a seat for your little brother in the family car. “Booster” is a slang term for someone who steals merchandise from retailers, then sells it, usually for half-price on the street or in secret locations.
In this film, Keke Palmer becomes a leader of a group of amusing boosters who hone in on a very particular target. That’s where Demi Moore comes in.
Pick a Genre
Moore plays a fashion designer/inspirational leader. At least the character thinks she’s inspirational. An unusual combination for sure, but “unusual” makes this film memorable. A film often has a double genre, such as comedy/sci-fi or western/rom-com. What writer-director Boots Riley did was combine so many genres that you’d need at least a half dozen of those forward slashes to include them all. “Comedy” however, would surely be next to one of the slashes.
That sounds like a way to create a total mess of a movie, but amazingly, Riley made it work. The film becomes a fascinating journey through the many varieties of human experience explored in film.
Keke vs. Demi
Palmer plays Corvette, the protagonist, the leader of a gang of boosters, who deep down wants to be a fashion designer. For reasons which I won’t spoil here, she goes to war against the antagonist, Christine Smith, played by Demi Moore, whose performance for me evoked The Devil Wears Prada.
Both characters at times seem like “the good girl” and at other times “the bad girl”. This keeps the challenging structure and twists engaging.
The film does swing a little left, anti-capitalist, toward the end, but it provides so much fun and laughter along the way, you probably won’t mind. I Love Boosters should open in theaters on May 22, 2026.
More About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987, SXSW continues to evolve and maintain its close connection with the evolving culture and technology.
SXSW’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with SXSW Sydney starting in 2023 and Europe with SXSW London in 2025, provides new possibilities at this iconic experience. These events, each with their own distinct flavor, make South By an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community.
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