PARTING SHOT
Illustration by BRITT SPENCER
BOOTS RILEY’S UNLIKELY SUMMER HIT, THE SURREAL POLITICAL SATIRE Sorry to Bother You, is full of eye-popping detail. Among the most entertaining are the earrings worn by Tessa Thompson, who plays Detroit, the performance- artist girlfriend of the lead character, played by Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta). Each oversized pair comes with a political message, like “Tell Homeland Security/We Are the Bomb.” In most cases, “it’s a song lyric tied thematically to something in the scene”, Thompson tells Newsweek. “Detroit uses every inch of herself as a canvas.” The character is fighting for social justice through her work. “I love that the film leaves you with the idea that a small group of committed, angry people can create change”, says the actress, whose credits include HBO’s Westworld and the films Creed and Selma. Speaking of commitment: Detroit performs one art piece wearing nothing but three leather gloves. “I like to take parts that scare me a little bit”, says Thompson, “and there were elements of Detroit that really scared me.”