Tessa Thompson believes 'Sorry to Bother You' asks some "provocative" questions about modern culture.

Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson

The 34-year-old actress has a starring role in the new Boots Riley-directed sci-fi film, and Tessa has claimed that the movie - which tells the story of an African-American telemarketer who adopts a white accent to succeed in his job - explores a range of issues that the public needs to consider.

She explained: "I think that what's so cool is that he's talking about things that are really vital, particularly in this cultural moment - even though he wrote the film a while ago. I feel like we're catching up with the satire, which is a sad sign of the times."

However, Tessa also praised the first-time director for managing to fuse serious issues with entertainment.

Reflecting on her experiences of working with Boots - who is best known as a rapper - she told Collider: "I think what's cool is that he's able to talk about those issues, but also make a film that's really funny and entertaining.

"The idea that you can hold spaces for both of those things ... that you can make a film that's provocative and wants to ask some important questions, but you can also make a film that makes you want to laugh.

"I think that's sort of perfect for the times we're in now, because we need a heavy dose of really thinking about where we are and we also need to laugh. Because, otherwise, I know all I want to do is cry."


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