I Love Boosters

I Love Boosters Review: Fresh insanity manifested

Brighton Nelson

22 May 2026 — 5 min read

The marketing of I Love Boosters was absolutely bonkers in the best possible way. I had no idea what to expect from a movie about a crew of perhaps excessively dressed boosters, but I was pretty sure it'd be a hilarious thrill ride. Were my expectations valid, or was this just another boring, mediocre movie? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing in today's review. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I hope you enjoy your time on my site!

Craziest and perhaps the best fashion in the film... except for Jianhu, what in the crap are you doing to your hair? Otherwise, it's perfection.

I only have one nitpick about this movie, honestly. The ending felt a little rushed, and it was weird that the film ended on a romance-rejection gag instead of with the gang of girls. I think even an extra 45-second scene would've significantly improved the film's conclusion. I was originally going to say the paper-ball stuff came off as pretentious, but then I realized it was made of checks and financial papers, which I didn't realize at first, and I started to love the theme it conveyed. Just noting this since somebody might not have noticed by the end.

However, aside from my one nitpick, I Love Boosters is yet another powerful showing of fantastic, original cinema this year. While this film will certainly not be for everyone (there was a family that left about halfway through, likely since they realized this film got a whole lot more insane than they were expecting), it's so distinct that I can't help but feel like people will appreciate its creativity, even if it's not for them.

The visual effects in this film are absolutely ridiculous, but so captivating to watch. Crazy clothes are vacuumed, things are shot with multicolored beams to reverse time or increase growth, paint and cotton are sprayed everywhere, and claymation is used in a ridiculously, grotesquely beautiful way to represent clones that have been skinned (yes, every piece of skin, even the dang scrotum).

This film is also an absolute shoo-in for Costume Design, as well as Hairstyling and Makeup. In a wild film like this, the film's aesthetic, vibe, and even overall quality rested heavily on how well these elements were executed. And, thankfully, they were executed wonderfully—it's been a while since I've seen as much creativity in this category.

Perhaps even better at setting the scene is the score. Ranging from a ridiculously out-of-tune recorder lick, far worse than anything played by any of the fourth-grade classes I teach, to rave music that I want to add to multiple of my Spotify playlists here, the variety and experimentation of this movie exceeds the visual and carries over to perhaps be my favorite score of the year thus far.

You just got to see to believe some of the insanity that goes down in this film.

The story of this movie also far exceeds its already memorable premise! Starting as a small-scale spree of Robin Hood-esque boosting, and morphing into a movie featuring a teleporter that is crucial to a Chinese labor strike, the stakes continue to escalate in a way equally natural and extraordinary. The film's smallest scenes are still so memorable: from vaporizing people's clothing to morphing a door into an acorn; from an insane, demonic bedroom scene to lodging in the back of a fried chicken restaurant, there was not a single moment of boredom here.

The performances were also so much fun, with a great, diverse cast of endlessly quirky people. Demi Moore as the antagonist was probably the most memorable aspect of the film, as she plays a super greedy, corporate artist role wonderfully. I also love Poppy Liu in her role as a freedom fighter advocating for fair labor in China, and Will Poulter as a pathetic, flamboyant fashionista. Don Cheadle absolutely disappeared into his role as Dr. Jack (literally couldn't tell it was him), and, of course, the OG trio of the Velvet Gang was also great, if a bit less intriguing than the side characters surrounding them. When Keke Palmer isn't your favorite performance in a film, you know you've got a pretty star-studded cast.

The Reel Ranker Verdict

Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 92%
Letter Score: S
Star Ranking: 4.5 out of 5

I Love Boosters is yet another explosive 2026 counterargument to the folk complaining about "the lack of original movies", who then turn around and only watch their big-franchise blockbusters. With impeccable vibes created through the costume design, hairstyling, visual effects, and all-timer score, as well as a bizarrely entertaining story underlined by the film's great performances, I Love Boosters is a must-watch experience that must be seen in the biggest and best theater near you.

Interested in checking out some recent reviews for some other crime and comedy films? See them below!