Boots Riley Debuts 'I Love Boosters' in Theaters, Criticizing AI Hype With 15-Year-Old Tech Example
Updated
Updated · The Verge · May 22
Boots Riley Debuts 'I Love Boosters' in Theaters, Criticizing AI Hype With 15-Year-Old Tech Example
6 articles · Updated · The Verge · May 22
'I Love Boosters' is now in theaters, with Boots Riley framing the comedy as his clearest cinematic argument for class struggle and collective worker power.
Set in a fantastical Bay Area, the film follows 4 women who steal luxury fashion and resell it cheaply, using heists to expose exploitation in the global fashion industry.
Riley said the movie contrasts spectacle-driven activism with organized labor action, arguing real power under capitalism comes from workers' ability to withhold labor across industries.
On filmmaking, Riley rejected generative AI as overhyped, citing reports that a Brad Pitt-Tom Cruise demo relied on older video-game-style techniques rather than breakthrough new tools.
He cast that AI push as part of a broader investment-fueled bubble—comparing it to NFTs—while insisting his work will keep foregrounding systemic inequality.
Can a Hollywood blockbuster truly be a weapon for anti-capitalist revolution?
As Hollywood debates AI, why is India's film industry embracing it without backlash?
Does portraying theft as 'class payback' inspire justice or just glamorize crime?
“I Love Boosters” (2026) by Boots Riley: Comedy, Class Warfare, and the Industry’s Anti-AI Backlash
Overview
Boots Riley’s 2026 film 'I Love Boosters' is a vibrant shoplifting comedy that follows the Velvet Gang, a group of women who steal unaffordable couture from designer Christie Smith and resell it at lower prices to their struggling neighbors. Set in a fantastical Bay Area, the film uses humor and bold visuals to highlight class struggle and the realities of labor exploitation. Riley’s story blends satire with a strong pro-worker message, showing how collective action can challenge unfair systems. The film’s release also connects to Riley’s broader critique of AI and its impact on creative labor.