Subscribe

* indicates required
Okayplayer News

To continue reading

Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.

Already have an account?

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

How Sorry To Bother You’s Detroit’s Characterization Subverts the Trope of Manic Pixie Dream Girl
How Sorry To Bother You’s Detroit’s Characterization Subverts the Trope of Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Source: IMDb

Boots Riley Blasts International Distributors for Rejecting 'Sorry To Bother You' as a "Black Movie"

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: IMDb

"[There are] films that bombed here, that [they are] distributing."

Sorry To Bother You may be the year's most critically adored film, but it could be some time until overseas theaters get a chance to cash-in on the success of Boots Riley's directorial debut.

READ: Boots Riley Is Oakland's Undefinable Storyteller: Interview

Riley took to Twitter over the weekend to explain the racial factor in this roadblock. In a tweet from late Friday night, Riley explains "Even tho [we're] outperforming a gang of other movies, distributors [are] claiming 'Black movies' don't do well internationally and [are] treating it as such."

Currently, Sorry To Bother You holds a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is already in awards discussions. The film has grossed over $14 million in the four weeks since a limited release on July 6th, expanding to theaters nationwide the following week.

READ: How Boots Riley Flips the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" Cliché in Sorry To Bother You

Hopefully, Riley's newfound visibility as a visionary director has expanded his reach and pull in an industry that's let representation flatline over the last decade, despite the success of Black PantherMoonlight, and Get Out. Let's see if distributors heed that call.