The American Society of Magical Negros (2024) is directed by Kobi Libii and stars Justice Smith, An-Li Bogan, David Alan Grier, Drew Tarver, Aisha Hinds, Rupert Friend, Michaela Watkins,  Gillian Vigman, Nozipho Mclean, Isayas Theodros, Tim Baltz, and Farelle Walker. The film follows Aren (Smith), a struggling artist recruited into a secret network of magical black people sworn to improve the lives of various white people. After he’s assigned to help Jason (Tarver), an awkward corporate stooge, Aren learns about the various ways in which to comfort white people. When he meets Jason’s professional partner, Lizzie (Bogan), Aren quickly forms a romantic connection. Unfortunately, as soon as this happens, Jason reveals that he has feelings for Lizzie. Because it is a Magical Negro’s sworn duty to put his white person’s happiness before his own, Eren is forced to choose between serving what he is told is the greater good and pursuing who could possibly be the love of his life. 

Justice Smith plays his typical awkward and annoyed self – a character he’s made a career on. That being said, he serves the movie well enough. Thankfully, An-Li Bogan as Lizzie is a charismatic love interest who helps elevate the romance elements above pure slog. Likewise, David Alan Grier as the film’s black Dumbledore character is an entertaining treat. Besides that, no one stands out except maybe Rupert Friend as an out-of-touch tech CEO who unauthentically cares about diversity. It’s too bad the movie doesn’t use him enough to truly make an impact.

The script has a bit of fun with its black Harry Potter approach as well as a few subversions of typical race movie scenarios, that being said, its portrayal of the extent to which white people are uncomfortable around black people is over-the-top and out-of-touch. In one scene, a character says, “I grew up around white people,” and the other character responds, “That must’ve messed you up.” Really? Not subtle, and not a way to appeal to a wide audience. Some jokes are worth a small grin, but other than that, the entire script feels like low-IQ race-baiting. It may make a white person consider how irrationally safe they feel throughout their day-to-day lives, but the message is undercut with countless tone-deaf jokes.

It’s pretty much an unsubtle exploration of race that has little new to say about the subject. It acts as if white people make things all about themselves, but I think it’s more accurate to say that humans/individuals make things all about themselves. Attaching race feels immature and unintelligent. Black people feel unsafe in America and they undoubtedly are compared to white people. That doesn’t change the fact a lot of white people in America feel unsafe/disenfranchised as well and don’t appreciate being painted as individuals who get everything they want simply because of the color of their skin (because a vast majority of the time, they don’t). The movie just feels like the movie equivalent of a straw man argument. 

Overall, this is a perfectly mediocre little romantic comedy but a grating exploration of racial tensions in America. I can see this having some appeal in the African American community, but other than that, I’m not sure who this movie will appeal to. I suppose the fact that it bombed at the box office supports that thought. C-