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● Plot Summary 1h 52m Fantasy · Science Fiction

Sorry to Bother You (2018) — full plot summary

Directed by Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You unfolds across 1h 52m of fantasy. This page covers the story beat by beat. For the ending, see the dedicated ending explained page.

● TL;DR

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.

The story

Sorry to Bother You is a 2018 American science fiction black comedy film written and directed by musician Boots Riley in his directorial debut. It stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, and Armie Hammer. The film follows a young African-American telemarketer who adopts a "white voice" to succeed at his job, after which he is swept into a corporate conspiracy and must choose between chasing profit or joining his activist friends who are attempting to unionize.

Setting & tone

Sorry to Bother You is set in United States of America and works primarily in English. Tonally it sits in Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comedy, drawing on the conventions of each while filtering them through Boots Riley's direction.

Why people search for this plot

Search interest in the plot of Sorry to Bother You tends to spike around questions about narrative ambiguity, the meaning of specific scenes, and how secondary characters connect to the main arc. Our editorial team tracks those queries and updates this summary as new questions emerge — see the FAQ on the main movie page.

● Spoilers ahead?

Read the ending explained

A scene-by-scene breakdown of the final act, the closing shot, and what it all means.

Sorry to Bother You ending explained →