Main character Cassius Green, played by Lakeith Stanfield, rises within his company as a call center employee in the film. And that's about the least that can be said. His march to the top begins with the use of his 'white voice'; this allows Cassius to sell everything and, to the shock of his girlfriend, 'becomes a lackey of big capital', as the VPRO puts it.
Well, that white voice reflects the message of the film: how do you adapt within a system to rise to the top? As the film progresses, the forms of alienation become increasingly extreme. The film holds a (critical) mirror up to entrepreneurship. Is such growth worth it if you become a completely different person? What happens when profit is the only moral compass?
For entrepreneurs and leaders, this means: values are not a soft aspect of business operations, but strategically essential. A strong company builds culture, not just margin. Technology, growth, and efficiency are important pillars, but without humanity, organizations turn into machines.
Those seeking sustainable impact as entrepreneurs can learn surprisingly much from this film. Sorry to Bother You holds up a quirky mirror to us - a rather uncomfortable one, but all the more necessary.
Year 2018 | Director Boots Riley | Available on AppleTV, Prime, RakutenTV, MeJane.com
