History Film / SorryToBotherYou

* ActorISTheTitleCharacter: Played with in the character posters. Instead of introducing each actor as their role, they follow the structure of "[Actor] IS [[TitleDrop Sorry to Bother You]]."
** [[BigBad Armie Hammer]], conversely, is notably "Not Sorry to Bother You."

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Cash ends up friends again with Squeeze and Salvador and back with Detroit, but just before the credits roll his nose horrifically contorts into horse nostrils, meaning Lift ''did'' mutate him with the coke he snorted in his office. TheStinger shows Equisapien!Cash leading others like himself into Lift's home, presumably to exact their revenge on him.]]

* CarryingTheAntidote: [[spoiler:As part of Lift's proposal to hire Cash as a false leader for the Equisapiens, Lift promises he only has to live for five years as an Equisapien, after which he can simply use an antidote to change him back. Cash doesn't believe he has an antidote at all, though.]]

* CrapsackWorld: This version of the United States seems to be a lot worse off than our own in several ways; poverty is sky-high, with most jobs being literal slave labor at MegaCorp[=s=] like [=WorryFree=], and the most popular show in America is a SadistShow dedicated to torturing and humiliating random people [[ItAmusedMe just to elicit depraved laughter]]. Things are so bad that after the BigBad's plan to [[spoiler:replace his own labor force with mutant horse people]] is leaked to the world, the company's stock ''doubles''.

* CruelTwistEnding: [[spoiler:In the midst of what seems to be a happy conclusion, with everything back to normal, Cash's nostrils suddenly mutate into that of a horse--or rather, an equisapien. Played with as this gives him the physical power to fight back.]]

* GetARoom: Early in the movie, Cash and Detroit are kissing and begin disrobing -- [[MomentKiller only for the door to their room (read: Sergio's garage door) to fly open, exposing them to the whole neighborhood]]. As Cash hurriedly closes the door, someone shouts "Get a room!", to which he responds, "I already got one, motherfucker!"

* SadisticGameShow: ''I Got the Shit Kicked Out of Me!'' is a game show that solely revolves around people being violently beaten and otherwise humiliated (we hear mentions of drinking hyena urine and both hear about and see someone being submerged in a "shit tank"). It doesn't have a small, niche audience of twisted folk -- ''it's the most popular show in America'', with '''150 million''' viewers[[note]]Not even the Super Bowl has ever had this many viewers[[/note]] per episode (nearly half as many people as live in the USA).

''Sorry to Bother You'' is a 2018 {{absurdis|m}}t [[ScienceFiction sci-fi]] BlackComedy film written and directed by rapper Boots Riley (lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club) in his directorial debut. The film stars Creator/LakeithStanfield and Creator/TessaThompson, with Creator/OmariHardwick, Creator/JermaineFowler, Creator/StevenYeun, Creator/ArmieHammer, Creator/TerryCrews, Creator/LilyJames, Creator/ForestWhitaker, and Creator/RosarioDawson in supporting or minor roles.

* ShoutOut: The [=WorryFree=] video ''The New Miracle'', animated via stop-motion Claymation InTheStyleOf Creator/MichelGondry, is credited to "Michel Dongry." Doubles as a StealthPun.

* ProducePelting: Invoked by Detroit who asks the audience to throw expended bullet casings, old cell phones, and sheep's blood at her during her on-stage performance. After all, TrueArtIsIncomprehensible.[[invoked]]

** In her artistic performance, Detroit recites lines from ''Film/TheLastDragon'' mostly nude while being pelted with cellphones, sheep's blood and bullets. InUniverse, Cash can't understand why she would subject herself to it.

''Sorry to Bother You'' is a 2018 {{absurdis|m}}t [[ScienceFiction sci-fi]] {{black comedy}} film written and directed by rapper Boots Riley (lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club) in his directorial debut. The film stars Creator/LakeithStanfield and Creator/TessaThompson, with Creator/OmariHardwick, Creator/JermaineFowler, Creator/StevenYeun, Creator/ArmieHammer, Creator/TerryCrews, Creator/LilyJames, Creator/ForestWhitaker, and Creator/RosarioDawson in supporting or minor roles.

* ButNotTooBlack: The initial thrust of the plot is Cash's ability to sound like a secure White guy on the phone, which helps him in his job.

* FanDisservice: See MaleFrontalNudity.

** As part of her art exhibit, Detroit sports nothing more than HandOrObjectUnderwear. She also gets [[ProducePelting pelted with garbage and sheep's blood]] while also spouting [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible artistic-sounding nonsense]] in her own White voice. It MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext.

* SadisticGameShow: ''I Got the Shit Kicked Out of Me!'' is a game show that solely revolves around people being violently beaten and otherwise humiliated (we hear mentions of drinking hyena urine and being submerged in a "shit tank"). It doesn't have a small, niche audience of twisted folk -- ''it's the most popular show in America'', with '''150 million''' viewers[[note]]Not even the Super Bowl has ever had this many viewers[[/note]] per episode (nearly half as many people as live in the USA).

* UncannyValley: A presumably intentional example. The "white voices" don't quite match their actors' lip movements or [[VocalDissonance appearances]], causing them to feel disconcerting and unnatural. Justified, as the "White voices" are meant to convey a sense of artificiality, loss of identity and corporate sterility.

* TechBro: Steve Lift is CEO of a company called [=WorryFree=], which claims to be able to solve most of the world's social ills (poverty, unemployment, hunger, etc.) He's a handsome young man who's charismatic and quirky, but also keen on control -- and, of course, has a dark secret in that he's [[spoiler:[[BalefulPolymorph involuntarily transforming]] his employees to make them more exploitable]].

* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: The "White voice". [[spoiler:It sounds vaguely like the Trans-Atlantic accent used in old movies and radio shows from the 1930s and '40s, which may be why it attracts White people.]]

''Sorry to Bother You'' is a 2018 {{absurdis|m}}t [[ScienceFiction sci-fi]] {{black comedy}} film written and directed by rapper Boots Riley (lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club) in his directorial debut.

Cassius "Cash" Green (Creator/LakeithStanfield) is a down-on-his-luck UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}}er who wins a job as a [[SoulCrushingDeskJob telemarketer]] at a company called [=RegalView=]. He doesn't do very well in the position until an older coworker (Creator/DannyGlover) tells him he can earn a higher commission from clients by using his "White voice" (provided by Creator/DavidCross) while on the phone with them.

When Cash starts to follow that strategy, his career at [=RegalView=] takes off in a big way, and he's promoted to the position of "Power Caller" by Mr. _______ (Creator/OmariHardwick), an elusive senior member of the company who's also a Black man using a "White voice" (provided by Creator/PattonOswalt). Despite Cash's lofty new status, it puts a strain on his relationships with his girlfriend Detroit (Creator/TessaThompson) and their friends and fellow co-workers (Creator/JermaineFowler and Creator/StevenYeun).

Creator/ArmieHammer, Creator/TerryCrews, Creator/LilyJames, Creator/ForestWhitaker, and Creator/RosarioDawson also have supporting or minor roles in the film.

Riley based the film's story on [[WriteWhatYouKnow his own experiences working in telemarketing and needing to use a different voice to find success]]. He finished the screenplay in 2012, but as he had no means of producing it at the time, he opted to turn it into the basis of an album of the same name with his band The Coup. It would later be published in full in 2014.

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:When Cash is told that humans are turned into equisapiens using a gene-modifying powder that looks ''oddly'' similar to the cocaine Lift had him snort just prior, he reasonably has a FreakOut moment. Lift assures Cash that he just gave him coke, and [[PragmaticVillainy wouldn't be evil enough to give him the mutation catalyst without his knowledge.]] The payoff of this moment isn't revealed until the very end, where everything seems to be back to normal ... but now Cash has horrifically mutated nostrils, signifying the start of his equisapien transformation.]] However, [[spoiler:[[BittersweetEnding it isn't all bad]]; once Cash finishes his transformation, he teams up with a group of fellow equisapiens to exact revenge on Lift]].

* ButtMonkey: Cash has to become one on the game show ''I Got the Shit Kicked Out of Me!'' so they'll air his video proof of the [[spoiler:equisapiens]].

* DoubleMeaningTitle: The meaning of the film's title goes two ways; on a surface level, it refers to the phrase commonly used by telemarketers, but it carries a deeper meaning of it being used when telling someone something they likely don't want to hear, like the film's [[CapitalismIsBad anti-capitalist]] sentiments.

* PissTakeRap: When Cash is told to rap at Steve Lift's party ([[NationalStereotypes they assume he's naturally skilled at it because he's Black]]), he struggles at first, mumbling poor rhymes, and then settles for just yelling "Nigga-shit, nigga-shit, nigga-nigga-nigga-shit!" The guests, nearly all White, then start chanting along.

* SadisticGameShow: ''I Got the Shit Kicked Out of Me!'' is a game show that solely revolves around people being violently beaten and otherwise humiliated (we hear mentions of drinking hyena urine and being submerged in a "shit tank"). It doesn't have a small, niche audience of twisted folk--''it's the most popular show in America'', with '''150 million''' viewers[[note]]Not even the Super Bowl has ever had this many viewers[[/note]] per episode (nearly half as many people as live in the USA).

** When Cash gets lost trying to find the door to the bathroom in Lift's house, he stumbles into a room with stalls and opens one of the doors to find [[spoiler:a naked horse-human hybrid spilling out, screaming for help]].

Cassius "Cash" Green (Creator/LakeithStanfield) is a down-on-his-luck UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}}er who wins a job as a [[SoulCrushingDeskJob telemarketer]] at a company called [=RegalView=]. He doesn't do very well in the position until an older coworker (Creator/DannyGlover) tells him he can earn a higher commission from clients by using his "White voice" (provided by Creator/DavidCross) while on the phone with them. When Cash starts to follow that strategy, his career at [=RegalView=] takes off in a big way, and he's promoted to the position of "Power Caller" by Mr. _______ (Creator/OmariHardwick), an elusive senior member of the company who's also a Black man using a "White voice" (provided by Creator/PattonOswalt). Despite Cash's lofty new status, it puts a strain on his relationships with his girlfriend Detroit (Creator/TessaThompson) and their friends and fellow co-workers (Creator/JermaineFowler and Creator/StevenYeun).

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:The film ends with an equisapien Cash leading a mob of fellow equisapiens on a storming of Lift's house. We see one break open the door to the room Lift is in, roar, and snap his head in Lift's direction before the film cuts to black and ends, leaving us to assume exactly how the equisapiens exacted their revenge on Lift.]]

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:When Cash is told that humans are turned into equisapiens using a gene-modifying powder that looks ''oddly'' similar to the cocaine Lift had him snort just prior, he reasonably has a FreakOut moment. Lift calms Cash down and assures him that he gave him coke, and [[PragmaticVillainy wouldn't be evil enough to give him the mutation catalyst without Cash's knowledge.]] The importance of this moment isn't revealed until the very end, once it's put at the back of our heads. Everything seems to be back to normal ... but now Cash has horrifically mutated nostrils, signifying the start of his equisapien transformation.]] However, [[spoiler:[[BittersweetEnding it isn't all bad]]; once Cash finishes his transformation, he teams up with a group of fellow equisapiens to exact revenge on Lift]].

* GetARoom: Early in the movie, Cash and Detroit are continuously kissing and begin disrobing with sexual intents--[[MomentKiller only for the door to their room (read: Sergio's garage door) to fly open, exposing them to the whole neighborhood]]. As Cash hurriedly closes the door, someone shouts "Get a room!", to which he responds, "I already got one, motherfucker!"

* PissTakeRap: When Cash is told to rap at Steve Lift's party ([[NationalStereotypes they assume he's naturally skilled at it because he's Black]]), he struggles and mumbles poor rhymes, and then settles for just yelling "Nigga-shit, nigga-shit, nigga-nigga-nigga-shit!" The guests, nearly all White, then start chanting along.

* SadisticGameShow: ''I Got the Shit Kicked Out of Me!'' is a game show that solely revolves around people being violently beaten and otherwise humiliated (we hear mentions of drinking hyena urine and being submerged in a "shit tank"). It doesn't have a small, niche audience of twisted folk--''it's the most popular show in America'', with '''150 million''' viewers[[note]]Not even the Super Bowl has ever had this many viewers.[[/note]] per episode (nearly half as many people as live in the USA).

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch

** Cash gets lost trying to find the door to the bathroom in Lift's house and stumbles into a room with stalls. He opens one of the doors to find [[spoiler:a naked horse-human hybrid spilling out, screaming for help]].

Cassius "Cash" Green (Creator/LakeithStanfield) is a down-on-his-luck UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}}er who wins a job as a [[SoulCrushingDeskJob telemarketer]] at a company called [=RegalView=]. He doesn't do very well in the position until an older coworker (Creator/DannyGlover) tells him he can earn a higher commission from clients by using his "White voice" (provided by Creator/DavidCross) while on the phone with them. When Cash starts to follow that strategy, his career at [=RegalView=] takes off in a big way, and he's promoted to the position of "Power Caller" by Mr. _______ (Creator/OmariHardwick), an elusive senior member of the company who's also a Black man using a "White voice" (provided by Creator/PattonOswalt).

Despite Cash's lofty new status, it puts a strain on his relationships with girlfriend Detroit (Creator/TessaThompson) and their friends and fellow co-workers (Creator/JermaineFowler and Creator/StevenYeun).

Riley based the film's story on [[WriteWhatYouKnow his own experiences working in telemarketing and needing to use a different voice to find success]]. He finished the screenplay in 2012, but opted to turn it into an album of the same name with his band The Coup, as he had no means of producing it at the time. It would later be published in full in 2014.

''Sorry to Bother You'' is a 2018 {{absurdis|m}}t [[ScienceFiction sci-fi]] {{black comedy}} film written and directed by rapper Boots Riley (''The Coup'', ''Street Sweeper Social Club'') in his directorial debut.

Despite his lofty new status, it puts a strain on his relationships with girlfriend Detroit (Creator/TessaThompson) and their friends and fellow co-workers (Creator/JermaineFowler and Creator/StevenYeun).

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: In her artistic performance, Detroit recites lines from ''Film/TheLastDragon'' mostly nude while being pelted with cellphones, sheep's blood and bullets. InUniverse, Cash can't understand why she would subject herself to it.