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There might’ve been a fantastical expectation that this trope satire would harbor similarities to Harry Potter. It does but not in the ways one would expect. Remember how the slavery of elves within the Harry Potter universe was a problematic element but rarely questioned and never conquered? There’s a similar sentiment within The American Society of Magical Negroes. It’s a film that will point out the absurdity but still serves up the status quo more out of necessity than any greater societal commentary.
A story like this could only work with an outside loser as the protagonist, unwilling to question and fearful to ensure the rocked boat is stable. Aren (Justice Smith) is a failing artist who doesn’t feel like he has a place in his world. Into his life comes the wise and magical Roger (David Alan Grier), informing him of an underground society of black people. They are armed with the ability to tap into the frustrations and hatred of white people, trying to find a way to ease their limited perceptions of race. Familiarized with the softened image of the magical negro stereotype, Roger says that Aren can make the world better for black people by taking the soft approach to calming white people. In other words, let the white people be the central character.
This aspect presents a problem for Aren on his first solo mission. He’s brought on board to help out the depressed Jason (Drew Tarver). Doing so will require working alongside him at a social media platform. Unfortunately, the company is also the workplace of Aren’s current love interest, Lizzie (An-Li Bogan). Falling in love on the job is apparently a strict no-no in this magical industry. Another rule is to never speak out against any forms of soft racism that might come up during the job. That won’t be easy considering Aren is working at a social media platform with a racism issue that wants to use him as a diversity pawn. There’s only so much a timid black man like Aren can take before the boiling point is reached.
There’s a wealth of squandered material with what can be explored. The Magical Society is treated like a stumbling satirical bit from an episode of The Boondocks, complete with the societal president DeDe (Nicole Byer) existing more as a figure of exposition than an authority to be challenged. The racism that Aren faces is flattened to such a degree that it falls directly into a genre it might’ve initially been trying to disect. Apparently, all it takes to rock society and change perceptions of black people is one good speech. All it takes is one noble monologue by Aren broadcast across the world to make a difference in the world. If this trope society exists on such shaky ground, it’s a wonder it didn’t start cracking until this very moment. At its worst, this presents a dim and simplified view of race relations.
Whatever satire might’ve been shot for in The American Society of Magical Negroes is missed by a mile. It tinkers with stereotypes, but doesn’t know where to take any of this, falling back on a lukewarm romance and a soapbox ending that ends up being more fantastical than anything in the society of magical black people. The status quo is fully maintained when the film’s ending presents another orderly society of societal tropes that is too absurd to fully question and too toothless to dismantle. The final result is a film that plays like a watered down version of Sorry To Bother You for an audience that thinks Green Book is a progressive picture.
