Blu-ray Review: THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

Home » Blu-ray Review: THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

May 27 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Aren Mbondo (Justice Smith) is an aspiring artist, but no one seems to get his work—sculptures made from yarn. He’s is a bit meek and apologetic, and is always unconsciously trying to please others. As he’s walking home from another disappointing art show, he finds himself in a potentially dangerous misunderstanding with a drunk white girl and her boyfriend at an ATM, but a mysterious man named Roger (David Alan Grier) steps in cool off the situation. Roger explains to Aren that he is from a client services firm that is unofficially saving the world, and he would like to offer Aren a job interview. The American Society of Magical Negroes is a secret organization that makes life safer for Black people by serving as a vanguard of white relaxation, quelling white discomfort before it gets out of control. Roger explains that white people are the most dangerous animal on earth when they’re uncomfortable, and so when a white person becomes unhappy, they unknowingly become a client. Their case is assigned to a member of the Society, who uses their powers to reduce this level of discomfort (measured by a “white tears meter”) in order to make the world safe again.

Aren doesn’t think keeping white people happy is as big of a deal as Roger makes it out to be, but he starts to realize that he’s actually been subconsciously doing this all his life. So, after going through his training, Aren is welcomed as a member of the Society. He is warned that the Society’s magic is a collective force—if anyone uses their powers selfishly, putting themselves before a client, everyone’s powers will fail. Aren soon gets his first assignment—Jason (Drew Tarver, The Other Two), an unhappy white male designer for the MeetBox social network. MeetBox is facing criticism for the fact that its facial recognition software doesn’t recognize Black faces—due in large part to a lack of diversity in general at the company. CEO Mick (Rupert Friend) is preparing to announce a redesign/rebranding, and Jason wants the job. Aren’s job is to make sure he gets it. So he joins the MeetBox team, where he meets Jason’s work wife, fellow designer Lizzie (An-Li Bogan). There’s an instant spark between the two of them—in fact they just had an unexpected meet-cute hours earlier. As Aren helps Jason take steps towards advancing his career and aspirations to be just like the MeetBox CEO, Aren also enjoys spending time with Lizzie, and she seems to connecting with him as well. However, just as Aren is about to express his feelings to Lizzie, Jason informs Aren that he is interested in Lizzie. Aren is already helping Jason with his job, but now he must help him get the girl of his own dreams as well?! Will Aren continue to put Jason’s happiness before his own, or will he finally do something for himself and potentially put the entire Magical Society in danger?

The American Society of Magical Negroes has a unique, fun premise with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the execution and story are ultimately a bit underwhelming. When you watch the trailer for the film, it has this almost Harry Potter-like feeling of Aren discovering this this magical world of the Society. However, this ends up being just a minor aspect of the film, with the movie ultimately being more of your standard rom-com/love triangle fare rather than something unique, fantastical and magical. The are some creative moments when we first explore the Society, poking fun of the “magical negro” moments we have seen in many films, such as The Green Mile or The Legend of Bagger Vance. David Alan Grier is a perfect fit as Aren’s mentor, riding the line between humor and drama. There are also many fun characters who work at the Society who we see preparing for missions, as well as the over-the-top diva in charge, Dede (Nicole Byer).

However, after this initial introduction to the Society, the film feels more like standard rom-com fare that’s also trying to also give a bit of a heavy-handed message. That said, the cast is great. I have been a fan of Justice Smith ever since I first saw him in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. He knows how to deliver on both humor and drama. Aren and Lizzie have a delightful meet-cute in a coffee shop, and Smith’s Hugh Grant-like stumbling is so charming and delightful. And later in the film, he delivers a really impassioned, dramatic speech, so we get to see several sides of his acting talent. An-Li Bogan is also great in her first major film role, finding wonderful chemistry with Smith, and that meet-cute banter. The film also features many other talented people in more comedic roles, such as Tim Baltz (The Righteous Gemstones) as a white cop Aren first tests his powers out on, Michaela Watkins as slightly off MeetBox manager Masterson, and Rupert Friend as the over-the-top MeetBox CEO. Drew Tarver also shines as Jason, who can be both annoyingly frustrating (on purpose) as well as hilarious. He is the character who is used as the lesson for viewers. He isn’t portrayed as evil, but more clueless. He is not purposely trying to take Lizzie from Aren. He just lives in his own world where everyone gets what they want, deserve and work for in life. If someone isn’t succeeding in life it’s because they didn’t work hard enough or want it enough—not because they have some kind of inherent advantage due to the way they look.

While Aren attempts to educate Jason about his privilege, he also goes through his own “racial awakening”. The more he works with Jason, the more he becomes aware of just how accommodating he is, and how he is constantly apologizing for everything. He was subconsciously taught that in order to survive in the world, you need to accommodate and make white people comfortable, and now he is faced with a choice as to whether he’s still going to do that.

Universal has released The American Society of Magical Negroes on Blu-ray and DVD, and it is also available in 4K digitally. We received the Blu-ray release for review. The picture generally looks great, with clean, detailed picture and an excellent level of detail throughout. The audio track provides clear dialogue and makes excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to bring the magical world of the Society to life. There is also a constant, subtle immersive ambiance, such in one scene where someone is playing pool and you can hear the balls falling into the pockets off screen behind you. The film also has a delightful, magical score that really evokes the fantastical feeling of the Society scenes.

The Blu-ray disc resides in standard HD keepcase, along with a glossy carboard slipcover, and an insert containing a code to redeem for an HD MA digital copy of the film. The disc includes about 15 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers as well as a director commentary.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:44:12)

1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 DTS Digital Surround, French 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2025):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

Secret Society Members (5:20)
The cast and crew discuss casting the film, the characters, and the journeys they go on over the course of the film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/producerdirector Kobi Libii, producers Angel Lopez, Julia Lebedev & Eddie Vaisman, and stars Justice Smith (“Aren”), An-Li Bogan (“Lizzie”), David Alan Grier (“Roger”), Nicole Byer (“Dede”) & Drew Tarver (“Jason”).
Crafting a Magical Society (4:14)
The cast and crew discuss the visual style of the film, the design of the sets and costumes, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/producerdirector Kobi Libii, director of photography Doug Emmett, production designer Laura Fox, costume designer Derica Cole Washington, and stars Justice Smith & David Alan Grier.
Speaking Your Truth (4:14)
The cast and crew discuss tackling a more serious topic through comedy. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/producerdirector Kobi Libii, and stars Justice Smith, An-Li Bogan, Nicole Byer & David Alan Grier.
Feature Commentary with Director/Writer/Producer Kobi Libii (1:44:12)
Writer/director/producer Kobi Libii provides and interesting and informative commentary throughout the film, discussing all aspects of the movie, from the score, to the cast, to the look and style of the film, the themes and story itself, and more.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Worth a Look

The American Society of Magical Negroes doesn’t really focus on the more magical aspects of the title, but rather becomes more of your standard rom-com fare that is also trying to tell a message. The film features a talented and comedic cast, and some fun rom-com moments, especially the meet-cute at the beginning. While the rom-com story did work for me, I wish the film had focused more on the creative magical society aspects introduced early on in the movie, which would have made this a more unique experience. Universal’s Blu-ray looks and sounds great, and includes a small but pretty solid selection of bonus material. If you want to check out the film before a blind buy, it is currently streaming on Peacock.