‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’: A Botched Routine
And the award for most awkward title to ask for at the box office goes to ...
((L-R) Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Nicole Byer and Kobi Libii. | Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images)
As much as we crave more diverse stories, some of the ones that come to the screen are better left on the cutting room floor. This is true of the film, “The American Society of Magical Negroes.” This is a fantasy comedy film about a Black man who discovers that his destiny is a “magical negro,” a cinematic trope about a person of color who walks into a white person’s life and helps them be mentored and discover who they are.
Basically, a walking plot device, not a character. As the title states, there is a secret society of magical negroes, with the mission to have racial harmony in America who attempt to appease white people by being their mentor or friend to cross an obstacle and create reassurance. Our protagonist Aren, played by Justice Smith, is a new recruit of these magical negroes who comes across a multiethnic woman named Lizzie who he then fosters a relationship with, but as he is assigned to assist a depressed white person, he discovers that he must juggle his personal happiness and love for Lizzie and his duty as a magical negro. The film also critiques issues of systemic racism in the corporate sphere with Aren experiencing disrespect and realizing the company, Meetbox, is promoting a false sense of diversity.
The cast is composed of well-known Black actors such as Justice Smith who starred in Detective Pikachu, Nicole Byer, and one of the great comedic Black actors, David Alan Grier. It is a shame that their wit and comedic chops are wasted here instead of a punchier and subversive script. Writer-director Kobi Libii has a history in comedy, and with this being his directorial debut, it is not a great start. … The film felt forgettable just as it was released.
When I first heard of this film, I thought this would have been a sharp satire of the magical negro trope that has aged like milk and overexposed in cinema. Like fellow Black film, “The Blackening,” this film was also inspired by a Key & Peele skit. What I got was a film that took itself too seriously and whiffed every ball thrown at it, striking out and feeling sanitized. The romantic comedy subplot really derailed the film instead of focusing on the trope and doing something with it. While it touched on themes of racism, the film used kid gloves to touch it and tried to have its cake and eat it too. It is a film created for the Black experience, but palpable for white audiences. This film feels like it pushes the stereotype more than subverting it. It attempts to be a parody of the fantasy genre with characters being recruited into a secret society, with most of the world-building falling on current society.
I hate to be so negative, but as someone who is a film critic and has had a history of discrimination in the corporate sphere, don’t pull your punches. You are Black and proud and you shouldn’t be scared to make something that has something to say as making a movie for everyone is making a movie for no one.
1 awkward fist bump out of 5.
Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on X and Instagram: @zippzapps.
Edited by Nykeya Woods