Film Journal 2024: The American Society of Magical Negroes
Directed by Kobi Libii
A complicated film to consider and analyze for sure. Not because the material is overly complicated,.but because of how it approaches the satire that informs its working premise (A society where the magical part of the equation is literalized and imagined as a working part of society at large, wherein members of this society function as a magical negroe tasked with ensuring white people are happy. As the mantra goes, happy white people means a safer world for persons of color).
The film functions as an academic treatise on one hand, exploring larger social and systemic realities relating to racial issues. At the same time it wants to be a straight forward rom-com. These two elements end up competing with one another, leaving both somewhat underdeveloped and lacking that needed extra punch that could have take the film to another level.
This only becomes more aware in the films final 30 minutes as things start to come together and reach its climatic moment. There are aspects of the ending that get applied retroactively, which is intended to give the film a more cohesive feel than I think it ultimately earns.
On a lesser level though, there are elements and portions of the film that are intriguing, engaging, fun, dynamic, and inventive. The blend of the fantastical with reality works on a visual level, and the chemistry between the different performances are decent to good. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this film go up a grade when I get a chance to revisit it, and it left me wanting to do precisely that. I think it leaves plenty of space to consider its apparent weaknesses more as intentional choices, which to me means there is opportunity to meet this film again on its terms, now that I know the bigger picture.
A solid, if imperfect debut overall that had the potential to be more.
The Stories of my Life 