Boots Riley Shares the Truth About Why ‘I Love Boosters’ Didn’t Premiere at Cannes

Boots Riley explained why I Love Boosters didn’t premiere at Cannes. And, his response sparked some discussion on social media. 

The filmmaker is in the middle of an all-out press push for I Love Boosters. The movie is in theaters now. And, after having seen the film, if you’re a fan of swirling color and heady ideas, you should make a trip to the theater.

A fan wondered how Riley’s latest work ended up premiering at SXSW down in Texas instead of the Cannes Film Festival. Well, the director decided to respond to the statement with the kind of candor that you don’t typically get in this situation.

“Cannes didn’t pick Sorry To Bother You. Altho they picked other stuff that had been played in their home country,” Riley explained. “They picked The Idol over I’m A Virgo. They didn’t pick I Love Boosters. They just don’t like my stuff. All good.” 

There’s a ton to unpack here. But, let’s start with the whole picking things that come from closer to their hosting country. Not completely out of the ordinary, but a little bit of a bummer. This whole conversation is honestly heightened by Riley just saying what’s so matter-of-factly.

Then, things quickly go towards the safety railing once the director mentions that The Idol got the nod over I’m A Virgo. As we’re on this website, the absolute cluster that the Sam Levinson series was, cannot be overstated!

I Love Boosters didn’t hit Cannes because the judges weren’t feeling it

For those who don’t remember, The Idol is one of the biggest HBO flops in the peak streaming era. The word flop gets overused on social media. But, when I deploy it here, know that I am deadly serious friends. 

The Idol sits at a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Okay, yeah critics hated it, but surely audiences were kinder. Wait, a 41% on the Popcornmeter?! Well, this must have been a real calamity! And, you would be underselling it. Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd starred in a confounding series.

Meanwhile, I’m a Virgo sits at a 96% with a 79% on the old Popcornmeter. Sometimes the judges don’t get it right. But, Riley demonstrates something that haunts a lot of creative folks. That moment provides two paths forward.

You can completely lash out, or you can try to build something without those constraints. For I Love Boosters, the choice was clear. Plenty of folks love SXSW, and lean into the “weird” heritage of the festival. 

There’s a bunch of ways to skin a cat. (But, maybe don’t follow that to the letter of the law?) What we’re saying is the refusals are noted, but the director is basically focused on what he can do now.

Moving past criticism or just obstacles

Fans online had fun wirth the revelation. This person named Young Dosa succinctly tweeted a meme from Touki Bouki (Mambety, 1973). 

We have to give it to The California Post’s Brian Gallagher who said, “The fact that The Idol debuted at Cannes is still one of the most insane things ever.

In this business, like most of them unfortunately, you can’t let your opps get to you. It’s the number one way to lose focus and miss out on valuable time you could be using to make and distribute your art.

While it may not have the same massive cultural institutional love, I Love Boosters is finding its audience. And, that’s what Riley’s really after in the long run anyways. Let that man in the big hat talk his stuff. Lord knows, we’re all listening now.

(featured image: NEON)

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