The American Society of Magical Negroes

2024 film by Kobi Libii

The American Society of Magical Negroes

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Kobi Libii
Written by| Kobi Libii
Produced by|

* Julia Lebedev
* Eddie Vaisman
* Angel Lopez
* Kobi Libii

Starring|

* Justice Smith
* David Alan Grier
* An-Li Bogan

Cinematography| Doug Emmett
Edited by| Brian Olds
Music by| Michael Abels

Production
companies

* Sight Unseen
* Juba Lane

Distributed by|

* Focus Features (US)
* Universal Pictures (outside US)

Release dates

* January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
* March 15, 2024 (2024-03-15) (United States)

Running time

| 105 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English
Box office| $2.5 million[2]

The American Society of Magical Negroes is a 2024 American comedy film that satirizes the Magical Negro trope in featuring a young man who joins a clandestine group of magical African Americans committed to enhancing the lives of white individuals. It was written and directed by Kobi Libii in his feature-film debut, and it stars Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, and An-Li Bogan.

The film was a production by Sight Unseen and Juba Lane, with Kobi Libii serving as one of its four producers. The collaboration involved production designer Laura Fox, cinematographer Doug Emmett, editor Brian Olds, and composer Michael Abels. Filming primarily took place in the Arts District of Los Angeles, with the Los Angeles Theater serving as a key location for the secretive Institute's scenes. The production design juxtaposed the Institute's historic and magical atmosphere with the high-tech, satirical environment of MeetBox. Cinematography drew inspiration from classic "Magical Negro" films, blending Afro-centric visual elements with modern techniques.

It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and Focus Features released it in theaters in the United States on March 15, 2024. The film received mixed reviews on Metacritic,[3] and Rotten Tomatoes reported that critics noted that "while it presented an intriguing concept, it fell short of thoroughly exploring its most challenging notions".[4] It grossed $2.5 million at the box office.[2]

## Plot

[edit]

Aren, a young biracial African-American man, displays his yarn sculpture at an art gallery, facing rejection; no one buys his work. Advised by the white gallery owner to approach a specific patron, Aren is mistaken for a waiter and handed an empty glass. At the bar, African-American bartender Roger empathizes with Aren's experience.

Discouraged, Aren discards his sculpture and heads home. On the way, he encounters a drunk white woman struggling with an ATM. She asks him for help, but he's falsely accused of theft, leading to a physical confrontation with two white men. Roger intervenes, deftly defusing the situation with a barbecue-restaurant recommendation and prompting one of the men to say, "No hard feelings, okay?"

Roger introduces Aren to The American Society of Magical Negroes, a group aiming to safeguard African Americans by appeasing white individuals. Aren witnesses historical acts of reassurance by Black men towards whites, embodying the Society's mission. Under Roger's mentorship, Aren helps a shy white police officer gain confidence at a dance club.

A chance encounter with Lizzie, a woman with a multiethnic background, at a coffee shop leads Aren to develop feelings for her, even as he's called away for Society duties. The society arranges a job for him at MeetBox, a social media platform, where he's assigned to reassure Jason, a depressed white colleague. Aren discovers that they report to Lizzie, who also works there.

Amidst his growing friendship with Lizzie, Aren learns of MeetBox's racial recognition flaws, and the company's superficial response highlights systemic issues. Noting Aren's feelings for Lizzie—whom Jason also likes—Roger tells Aren he must focus on boosting Jason's career and love life, sacrificing his own happiness.

MeetBox prepares a global broadcast to its staff to outline its new diversity-embracing policies. Jason is appointed a co-presenter, and invites Aren to join him. However, as the presentation begins, Aren learns that he was invited so the company would appear more diversity-conscious. He interrupts the live presentation, challenging the company's woke façade, and asserting that he has the right to belong to society without apology or special treatment. His defiance shocks his colleagues and disrupts the Society's magic. Aren is transported back to Society headquarters, where its president, DeDe, tells him he is to be expelled and his memory of them erased.

Despite Roger's attempt to erase Aren's memories, the magic weakens, signaling a broader rebellion within the Society against their subservient roles. Aren reunites with Lizzie in Los Angeles, where they reconcile and happily walk off together—while Lizzie, apparently joking, tells him she belongs to a magical society of her own. In a coda, she enters a hair salon and accesses a secret entrance to the Society of Supportive Wives and Girlfriends (SOSWAG).

## Cast

[edit]

* Justice Smith as Aren
* David Alan Grier as Roger
* An-Li Bogan as Lizzie
* Drew Tarver as Jason
* Michaela Watkins as Masterson
* Aisha Hinds as Gabbard
* Tim Baltz as Officer Miller
* Rupert Friend as Mick
* Nicole Byer as DeDe

## Production

[edit]

### Overview

[edit]

The American Society of Magical Negroes is written and directed by Kobi Libii in his feature-film debut.[5] Libii began writing the concept in 2016 as a two-and-a-half-minute comedy sketch.[6] He developed the concept as a potential film in 2019 as part of the Sundance Institute's Screenwriters and Directors Labs. Libii saw the trope of the Magical Negro as a stock character that lacked "an inner life" and was "relentlessly focused on helping this white character grow in most cases". Libii said, "I found it so absurd and incorrect and funny that I wanted to blow it out and criticize it, but also use it as a way to talk about other stuff." Libii met Justice Smith at the labs and eventually cast him as the film's protagonist. He also cast David Alan Grier as the guide to the protagonist, seeing him as iconic from his upbringing and wanting him in a central role.[5] Libii said 90% of the film was filmed in Arts District, Los Angeles.[7]

The film was a production by Sight Unseen and Juba Lane, and Libii was one of the film's four producers. Among the crew members were cinematographer Doug Emmett, editor Brian Olds, composer Michael Abels,[8] and production designer Laura Fox.[9]

### Cinematography

[edit]

Doug Emmett, known for his work on The Edge of Seventeen and Sorry to Bother You, collaborated closely with director Kobi Libii to craft a visual style that blended elements of classic "Black savior" films with a modern aesthetic. The film’s look was characterized by its distinctive lighting and photographic techniques, particularly in contrasting the vibrant, Afro-centric color palette of the secret society’s scenes with the more conventional, subdued lighting of the MeetBox office.[10]

Emmett's primary goal was to visually narrate the protagonist Aren's journey, using cinematography to reflect his emotional states. This approach drew inspiration from films such as The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Green Mile, incorporating nods to these classic "Magical Negro" films. Emmett's choice of the Sony Venice camera and Tribe7 Blackwing lenses allowed for dynamic range and creative flexibility on set.[10]

One of the most challenging aspects of the production was filming in the Los Angeles Theater, a location three floors underground without elevators. Emmett's team utilized wireless, battery-operated lights to illuminate the expansive spaces. The most difficult scene to realize was the great hall of the society, which required intricate rigging of lights in a high, fragile ceiling. The crew faced significant technical challenges, including wireless interference, but successfully navigated these issues.[10]

The film was shot in raw format, with significant color grading performed in the DI by Natasha Leonnet, who designed a show LUT that referenced 1970s Kodak Ektachrome. The final look incorporated Invizigrain technology to emulate film grain and halation, contributing to the film’s unique visual texture.[10]

### Production design

[edit]

The production design was led by Laura Fox, whose previous work includes the 2021 film The Eyes of Tammy Faye and the TV series The White Lotus (2021–present). The film's design reflects the contrast between the old-world charm of the secretive Institute and the contemporary, high-tech workspace of MeetBox. To create the Institute, the team selected the Los Angeles Theater, incorporating its existing architecture and adding magical elements, such as pocket doors that opened mysteriously. Inspired by historical photographs of Black life by James Van Der Zee, which were used as artwork within the Institute, the space was designed to evoke depth and history.[9]

In contrast, MeetBox was styled as a parody of modern tech office spaces, drawing on research into workplaces like Google’s Spruce Goose hangar. The office included exaggerated features, such as a nautical theme, uncomfortable furniture, and motivational posters emphasizing work. The design highlighted the superficiality of such environments, providing a stark difference from the warmth and gravity of the Institute. Other notable locations include a historic Black-owned barber shop in Pacoima, repurposed to serve as a magical entrance to the Institute.[9]

## Release

[edit]

The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.[8] Focus Features originally planned to release the film in theaters in the United States and Canada on March 22, 2024,[11] but ultimately moved the release date a week earlier.[12] The film was released in 1,146 theaters, and Variety said its million-dollar projection was "for low single digits".[13] It made $1.3 million on its opening weekend, ranking ninth among other films.[14] The demographic breakdown of the opening-weekend audience was 50% male, 75% aged 25 years and older, and 52% African American, 31% Caucasian, 10% Hispanic, and 4% Asian.[15] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 70% overall positive score, with 51% saying they would definitely recommend it.[16] By the end of its US theatrical run, it grossed $2.5 million.[2]

Universal Pictures released the film in theaters in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2024,[1] where it grossed $15,558 from 111 screens in one week.[2] The film became available for premium digital sale and rental on April 2, 2024.[17] It became available on the streaming service Peacock on May 3, 2024.[18] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 14, 2024.[19]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Film review website Metacritic surveyed 23 critics and assessed 16 reviews as mixed, 5 as positive, and 2 as negative. It gave an aggregate score of 50 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[3] Website Rotten Tomatoes, which categorizes reviews as positive or negative, surveyed 74 critics and assessed 55 reviews as negative and 19 as positive, for a 26% approval rating. The average rating calculated was 4.8 out of 10.[4] After 47 reviews, it summarized the critical consensus: "[It] has a promising premise, but is too timid to fully engage with its most provocative ideas."[20]

The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan critiqued the film as a satire with a novel concept that ultimately fell short, turning a potentially sharp commentary on racial tropes into a mix of superhero and romantic comedy elements that lacked depth and failed to challenge audiences. He said that despite its creative premise, its execution was overly cautious and pandering, and that it missed the opportunity to make a more impactful statement on race and representation in cinema.[21]

Entertainment Weekly's Devan Coggan expressed disappointment with the film, noting that while it introduced a compelling concept that challenged a long-standing cinematic stereotype, it ultimately struggled to maintain momentum, getting lost in a conventional romantic comedy subplot that diluted its satirical potential. She felt that by failing to deeply explore its own themes, or to fully develop its magical society's world, it neither satisfied as a critique of racial representation nor as a romantic comedy, leaving much of its promise unfulfilled.[22]

## Social commentary

[edit]

When The American Society of Magical Negroes was first announced, The Root wrote that many anticipated the film to depict Black individuals performing magic and teleportation, similar to the style of Harry Potter.[23] Variety reported that online discussions commenced with an educational phase where film enthusiasts clarified to general audiences that the film was not a Black version of Harry Potter but rather addressed a trope highlighted by Spike Lee in 2001, where Black characters are stereotypically portrayed to serve the narrative of white protagonists.[6]

When Focus Features released the trailer, Variety reported that it "inflamed the Fox News crowd" for the line "white people are the most dangerous animal", referring to a scene in which a society member explains to a recruit, "White people feeling uncomfortable preambles a lot of bad stuff for us, which is why we fight white discomfort every day. The happier they are, the safer we are."[6] Mashable observed that following the release of the trailer, opinions on X (formerly Twitter) diverged into three groups: "1) Those disappointed because they expected a film about Black people doing magic without the Black trauma; 2) Those let down that the film is a satirical romantic comedy employing a problematic trope; 3) Bad-faith actors trying to portray the film as anti-white racism."[24]

Before the film's release, The Root's Stephanie Holland discouraged comparing The American Society of Magical Negroes to the 2023 film American Fiction, asserting that the comparison is unnecessary as both films offer unique approaches to addressing race. She highlighted the issue of limited space for Black narratives to present diverse perspectives on the same topic.[25] After these films' releases, The New York Times arts and culture critic Maya Phillips said these films and the 2022 film The Blackening "have failed to represent Blackness with all its due complexity — as sometimes messy, sometimes contradictory. Instead, they flatten and simplify Blackness to serve a more singular, and thus digestible, form of satirical storytelling", compared to past Black satire films Get Out (2017) and Sorry to Bother You (2018). Phillips wrote that The American Society of Magical Negroes "fails to offer a three-dimensional depiction of Blackness". She said, "The film’s fantastical central idea, however, is more show than substance. For most of a film that’s supposed to mock a racist character trope, it’s ironic that we don’t see much of these characters beyond their acting in this trope."[26]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Staff. "The American Society of Magical Negroes | BBFC". bbfc.co.uk. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
2. ^ a b c d "The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)". The Numbers. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
3. ^ a b "The American Society of Magical Negroes Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
4. ^ a b Staff. "The American Society of Magical Negroes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
5. ^ a b Perkins, Njera (December 15, 2023). "Exclusive: Take A Look at The New Trailer For 'The American Society of Magical Negroes,' Director Kobi Libii Talks His Debut Film". BET. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
6. ^ a b c Jackson, Angelique (January 19, 2024). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes' Filmmaker Kobi Libii Isn't Surprised About Sparking Internet Controversy: 'I Understand Being Deeply Suspicious'". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
7. ^ Staff (January 19, 2024). "'People Who Have Been Relegated to the Background Finally Stepping Forward' | Kobi Libii, The American Society of Magical Negroes ". Filmmaker. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
8. ^ a b Gleiberman, Owen (January 20, 2024). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes' Review: A Racial Satire Wittier and More Scalding Than 'American Fiction'". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
9. ^ a b c Staff (March 13, 2024). "Casting a Spell With Design and Decor in The American Society of Magical Negroes". focusfeatures.com. Focus Features. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
10. ^ a b c d Staff (January 19, 2024). "'You Live and Die by Your Crew': DP Doug Emmett on The American Society of Magical Negroes". Filmmaker. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
11. ^ Grobar, Matthew (November 15, 2023). "Focus Features Dates Kobi Libii Satire 'The American Society Of Magical Negroes' For Spring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
12. ^ France, Lisa Respers (March 12, 2024). "'American Society of Magical Negroes' star and director get the skepticism". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
13. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 14, 2024). "Box Office: 'Kung Fu Panda 4' Poised to Rule Again as Mark Wahlberg's 'Arthur the King' Targets $10 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
14. ^ "Weekend Domestic Chart for March 15, 2024". The Numbers. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
15. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (March 17, 2024). "'Love Lies Bleeding' Expands Into Top Ten With 'One Life', 'The American Society Of Magical Negroes' – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 17, 2024). "'Kung Fu Panda 4' Puts The Kung Fu Grip On Sandworm With $30M Second Weekend — Sunday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
17. ^ Prange, Stephanie (April 1, 2024). "'American Society of Magical Negroes' Available for Premium Digital Purchase and Rental April 2". Media Play News. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
18. ^ Staff (April 29, 2024). "The American Society of Magical Negroes is Coming to Peacock". peacocktv.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
19. ^ "New Releases: May 14, 2024". Media Play News. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
20. ^ Staff. "The American Society of Magical Negroes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 16, 2024.
21. ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (March 15, 2024). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes': A bloodless satire that's too eager to please". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
22. ^ Cuggan, Devan (January 20, 2024). "The American Society of Magical Negroes doesn't live up to its magical premise". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
23. ^ Genai, Shanelle (December 19, 2023). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes,' Got People Feeling All Kind of Ways". The Root. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
24. ^ Townsend, Chance (December 30, 2023). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes' backlash explained". Mashable. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
25. ^ Holland, Stephanie (January 29, 2024). "Stop Comparing 'American Fiction,' to 'The American Society of Magical Negroes' Because They're Black Films". The Root. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
26. ^ Phillips, Maya (May 14, 2024). "Black Satire Is Having Its Hollywood Moment, but Something Is Missing". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* The American Society of Magical Negroes at IMDb