THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES movie poster | ©2024 Focus Features

Rating: PG-13
Stars: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Aisha Hinds, Michaela Watkins, Rupert Friend
Writer: Kobi Libii
Director: Kobi Libii
Distributor: Focus Features
Release Date: March 15, 2024

While they are very different films and likely didn’t know about one another’s development, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES seems like it would fit splendidly on a double bill with AMERICAN FICTION.

AMERICAN SOCIETY is the more fantastical of the two. It’s also the gentler film, even though fear of violence is a more explicit topic here.

The film, written and directed by Kobi Libii, begins with an onscreen explanation of the term “Magical Negro.” This is a trope, in literature, stage, film, and television, where Black characters exist solely to aid, encourage, and otherwise prop up white protagonists.

People think this is a (regrettable) dramatic conceit but, the opening crawl goes on, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES is here to reveal the truth.

We’re at a Los Angeles art gallery where young artist Aren (Justice Smith) is displaying his yarn sculptures. Nobody seems to get what he’s trying to say, which is a problem. A much bigger problem is that not only can Aren not assert himself, he reflexively apologizes to every white person he so much as passes. The white people around him mostly ignore him; one assumes he’s a waiter.

This is devastating but not new for Aren. But this time, it does not go unnoticed. Later that night, when Aren is asked by a tipsy young white woman to help her out at an ATM, her white boyfriend and his white buddy misinterpret the situation. For a moment, it looks like the innocent Aren is about to get pummeled, arrested, or both.

Then Roger (David Alan Grier), who was the bartender at the art gallery, steps in. An older Black gentleman, he is charming, courteous, wise – and somehow (our first taste of the “magical” aspect of the title) has the young woman’s bag out of Aren’s hand and back onto her shoulder without anyone seeing it move.

Roger watched Aren at the art gallery and thinks the young man has what it takes to get a paying job with Roger’s organization, the American Society of Magical Negroes.

What exactly does the Society do? Not to put too fine a point on it: the Society believes there is nothing on Earth more dangerous, legally or physically, than a stressed-out white person. The Society is here to keep the world, especially Black people, safe by placating these white folks before they reach their go-to state of blaming everything on the nearest Black person/people in view.

There is actual magic here, with historical images that float in the air (there is a brief but fabulously astute parody of THE GREEN MILE), teleportation, and meters – only visible to Society members – that indicate how stressed an individual white person is at any given moment.

The Society rules are to never make the client uncomfortable, make everything about the client, and only show the parts of oneself that will be acceptable to the client. Also, Society members may never use their powers on their own behalf.

Aren is given as a client a white tech bro, Jason (Drew Tarver), who works at Meetbox, a company that seems to be an amalgamation of Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram and so on. Meanwhile, Aren falls for a young woman, Lizzie (An-Li Bogan).

While not the main feature of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES, the relationship between Aren and Lizzie is delightful. They talk to each other like people, not like wary spies from different countries (as is the case in too many rom-coms). This also provides Aren and the audience with a basis for comparison to his relationship with Jason.

A wrong step this way or that and THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES could be cringe-worthy. However, filmmaker Libii knows exactly how to strike the right notes at every turn. We recognize what we’re seeing, from life, but we never feel like we’re being hectored.

This is partly because Libii treats the white characters with what might be termed affectionate exasperation rather than full-on rage. In the toxic, competitive corporate environment, Jason is only able to have a (form of) friendship with Aren because he doesn’t see Aren as a threat, while being absolutely oblivious to what that means. Meanwhile, company owner Mick (Rupert Friend) is also racist, but then again, he’s pretty awful to everybody.

Libii also sets the parameters with care and nuance. An interaction with a tense cop turns into something amusing, while at the same time, no one has to say or do anything for us to know how horribly it could turn out. Libii keeps what we’re seeing mostly playful, while deftly keeping us mindful of the sobering realities being referenced.

Smith is superb as the often bewildered, sensitive and increasingly determined Aren. Grier is likewise excellent as the man who has seen it all. Bogan is charming, and Tarver gives Jason a sheen of normalcy. Aisha Hinds, as a Society instructor, and Nicole Byer, as the Society’s formidable leader, also make strong contributions.

One doesn’t have to be a magician to guess where Aren’s journey is going, but it’s a joy experiencing with him. There are lots of movies about learning to stand up for oneself, but few with this level of wit, insight, and ability to speak to the viewer.

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Article: Movie Review: THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROS

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