THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES Movie Review **SPOILER ALERT**
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- čas přidán 13. 03. 2024
- Gay homosexuals Nick and Joseph spoil The American Society of Magical Negroes - a 2024 American satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Kobi Libii in his directorial debut.
Premise: Aren is recruited into a magical society of African Americans to follow their lifelong cause: to make the lives of white people easier.
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Cast:
Justice Smith as Aren
David Alan Grier
An-Li Bogan
Drew Tarver
Michaela Watkins
Aisha Hinds
Tim Baltz
Rupert Friend
Nicole Byer
Cinematography by Doug Emmett
Edited by Brian Olds
Music by Michael Abels
Keywords: ending explained, reaction video, trailer, Focus Features, Sundance Film Festival - Zábava
This film should have been called the biracial man’s dilemma. That would have been the more honest title.
Or the dilemma of being a socially anxious male with avoidant tendencies to conflict. They wanted to make this about race but to me it seems his problem is more a personality issue. He thinks it's about race but really it's just the socially awkward vibe he creates which is why people ignore him.
@@darkwingduck3477 I will fully admit that I have not watched the film and I don’t really have the desire to so thanks for always providing entertaining and informative reviews. As a movie lover you guys never fail to entertain and enlighten.
@darkwingduck3477 nah, this is a specific and common phenomenon with biracial people raised in predominantly white communities. He weird too though😂
Agreed. The title alone is a dead giveaway that he has no black friends. I met a lot of people like him. Biracial but raised by a WW in a white community (as the father usually runs off so the child never meets their black family) the same community reminds them that they’ll never be white but whiteness is all they know. That’s the mindset of this films director
Absolutely need to start a 'Who Was This Made For' award
hahaha yes!
With a title like that this should be a balls to the wall satire, Maybe a marriage between Spike Lee and John Waters
My god, I would love to see any film collaboration of those two!
@@joedixon1186 Just imagine: incest, hypocrisy, black people pretending to be white, white people pretending to be black, Gabrielle Sibide sitting on a white nationalist face, maybe have Madea as a guest star and Oprah portraiying a homeless alcoholic and crack addict! Mink Stole burning books kindergartens! So many possibilities!
I was thinking a bit of Mel brooks splashed in.
" Maybe a marriage between Spike Lee and John Waters" A type of film I'd love to see.
Reply
Not even. Should have been a straight-up Scary Movie-esque parody
The biggest hurdle I must overcome with this film is believing it actually exists.
SAME
Sounds like a big "miss" 😔
Hahaha that shouldn't be hard to do
Right! Who greenlit this?
😂😂😂
“Ain’t nobody afraid of him!” 😂😂
Casting a biracial, ambiguous man as the main character was a weird choice...I agree, he wouldn't experience the same treatment as someone who looked like Trevante Rhodes... This is the first thing I thought when seeing the trailer too😒
Ya, I thought him being biracial was going to be used as a joke for how he has to endure racism from black race essentialists, too.
Totally agree - it was an odd choice, and a missed opportunity in more than one way, imho.
It's because the director said he was in the same situation. He's working out his own childhood bs.
It was intentional. The director said it was his story. His mom is white 😅
@@bethanyjohnson8222Ikr, why so many people who get the opportunity to do a project like this, just use it like personal therapy. 🤦🏾♀️
How do you make a movie about black people with magical powers then make it about making white people happy!? Not all black stories have to revolve around our relationship with white people. This would have been more interesting if they made this a black version of Harry Potter and played with themes like black girl magic or black excellence and how that can sometimes be harmful to black people. What a waste of time and money SMH!
Exactly what I said. Just make it silly and not so lame like this.
This!!
'A black version of Harry Potter and played with themes like black girl magic or black excellence and how that can sometimes be harmful to black people.'.. I want to see THIS movie.
100% we want black potter/LOTR/Narnia not make white people happy movie
Not seen the film literally just learning if it here.
I peruse the comments first out of habit. So excuse.
But isn't the purpose of a magical negro to make white people happy / comfortable.
On and off screen?
It sounds like this is material that Robert Townsend could have covered in a piercing way back in the 1980's or 1990's. I think David Allen Grier worked with Robert Townsend at some point. I'll never forget watching Hollywood Shuffle as a 7 year old on HBO. I understood the message, and it has stuck with me throughout my life. Thanks so much for watching this movie and reviewing!
Nick praised Hollywood Shuffle in the Fish Jelly review of American Fiction.
yes!!!!
Joseph "this movie felt scared". I think that sums it up perfectly.
Too bad they didn't go full satire like Harry Potter for black people.🙅♂
They literally had the template with K&P skits
So...essentially the safe route and refusal to push the boundaries w this movie exposes the fact that the creators themselves are actually in the society?🤔😮💨
Thank you guys so much for doing this review. I saw it last night. And now I'm watching your video on it. No one on the internet does what you guys do- full spoiler review done quite quickly for a vast array of films with quality and hutzpah. Thanks for all you guys do.
"Sorry girl..." that was everything for this review. Thank you sirs
This review sounds more entertaining than the film
This movie would have been really timely 50+ years ago.
Thank you both for your insight. Many great points were made. Like not talking about colorism, class and different generations' experiences. Shame that modern filmmakers won't go there, when exploring society's race issues, like past films decades ago. Thank you again for your review.
Honestly, when the trailer was getting dragged online, I had the TINIEST hope that there might be a misdirect, and it might have something to actually say or a deeper message that wasn't evident.
Nope! What is the point of highlighting a problematic trope if you're just going to play into it and reinforce it? The colorism piece was something that definitely got glossed over as well.
What a waste of time and resources. 😑😑😑
The real hero of this film is Justice Smith's agent. How this man keeps getting booked for acting jobs is literally beyond me. It's like a piece of wood became sentient and learned how to put on clothes.
Why do I keep seeing this dude in movies? He’s got a punchable face. No charisma whatsoever. Where’s the talent? Don’t see it.
I thoroughly appreciate y’all’s sacrifice. I’m so curious about this film but didn’t feel like being let down. I crave more fantastical films featuring a Black cast so I had hopes until the second trailer came out.
It did feel weird that Aaron was made a member when you look at the whole society is filled with dark skin to brown members and Aaron is made the savior in my opinion
I hate that the concept 4 this movie was picked up n made. An this title is phucking diabolical!
I remember watching the trailer and being so pissed. It could’ve really done something and it just was trash. I have no intention of seeing this, but I’m excited to see what yall have to say; especially Joseph!!!
WoW kudos Fish-jelly, your approach and explanation of this movie was incredibly well done. Humourous, knowledgeable, entertaining and real. Bravo
I'm definitely watching this when it comes to my local library.
Nick I have been liking the different flannel shirts you have been wearing lately. Dark blue and all shades of red look good on you. Based upon the thumbnail I already knew Joseph was not going to be feeling this one. LOL!
Come on with the colorism discourse Nick 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 this film is so cringe
This movie would've been a lot better without the unnecessary romance. It killed the vibe so hard for me.
When describing you two, woke is an understatement 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Once I saw the trailer, I knew it wouldn’t be good. The title doesn’t match the “romance” focus.
Oh this is going to be gloriously bad
I Already Fux With This Channel Heavy... But The Fact That Patrice O'Neal Is Yo Favorite Comedian, Just Solidified It To Me!!! 😂 RIP The Best Comedian Of All Time!!! 🙌🏾👌🏾💯 #PatriceOneal
First of, it's been a long while since the "Negroes" expression used I've seen, moreover in a title too! Also, like you describe it, it's lost "saying something" - may be about 'phobia' - *but* it turned "invisible" where it could have made more sense. Another movie testing patience ☺
Thank you so much for always keeping it 100 because I know most definitely I will not be watching this film. They need to come a lot better than this.
Not placates lol the shade lol
I have been waiting on this review!!
I feel like they should have put Mel Brooks on the writing staff.
The title kills it for me anywsy tbh.
My 2 cats love your intro! They always follow the popcorn 😂
Oooh been waiting on this one from you guys !
More power to you guys. 💯❤️
It’s hilarious how so many dialogue scenes just go on and on until the they eventually die a slow death and then the movie mercifully cuts to the next scene, only to just happen again and again
It's interesting that the main thing I took from your review is that the director specifically showcases at least 4 crotch-grabbing scenes!! 😮🎉
I was really hoping this film would ...do something. Of all TV tropes pages, this is one that has legs to be something more.
I trust you guys opinion on it, and will keep on hoping someone in the future does something better with the concept.
Aside, but I laughed aloud at hearing it pronounced "boatswain", I'd forgotten that was how it's written
Just finished watching this film. It was a "polarizing" trailer. I can understand why it entered the cancel culture discussions.
However after watching it and even crying at one point when Justice Smith gave up on himself? That dissociation and sitting with shame really hurts.
The monologue at the end of the film was accurate to me at least, when it comes to the black experience, i dont know any other identity other than shame. So i am always in pain and just like the film said it has shaped the way i walk, talk, think and occupy space in the world.
11:04 Such a FANTASTIC point!
Crazy this is written and directed by a former Daily Show writer because it sounds like a satire that plays too safe than pull no punches.
He was a daily show writer? I didn’t see that in his IMDb but I know that’s not all encompassing.
@@QueenKunta not only a writer but played an on camera 'political correspondent' on Jordan Klepper's spin-off show too.. he was being groomed as Trevor Noah's protege
Thank you for your honest review. I wanted to see this so bad but I trust your review. TY
I was afraid to watch this review. I’m a huge fan of this CZcams channel and seldom disagree with the reviews. I was front line for Black Twitter roasting the trailer. However I realize all Black people don’t see things the same way so I feared the possibility that those criticisms wouldn’t be shared by the reviewers. That was not the case! There are some actors I associate with Tomming and David Alan Grier is one of them. Anything he does I avoid. This film I think is for people who feel oppressed not by white supremacy but by the expectations of the Black community at large. Anyway long live Fish Jelly for keeping it real!
Thanks for thr breakdown.
Love u guys lol "ya this ain't it "😂,awesome detailed review, it's hard to find a good movie these days 😢
I wanted to watch this review instead😂
A misstep for Justice. What a shame.
From what I've seen from him, Justice Smith seems like one of those actors who really needs the right script in order for him to work at his best potential. Having him in a movie like this (which sounds like needs a MASSIVE top-to-bottom rewrite), as well as blockbusters like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu don't really allow him to show his potential, since he doesn't come off as the kind of actor to carry these type films. I know he's in I Saw The TV Glow, another Sundance film from this year, and I hear he's a lot better in that film. Then again, I've heard that film has better writing than any of the others mentioned above, so that may help too.
even from the trailers this looked a MESS…like are these the stories we are choosing to tell in 2024?
Wow this sounds awful and silly.
and this is why I watch you guys…to avoid watching dumb shit and wasting my time. The whole movie seems detached from reality
17:33 you want them to go full in Men in Black with it. buddy cops movie. That sounds a lot better
Sounds like the main character is a spoof of Jessie Smollett. He even looks like him.
Yes! I’m early ❤
Oh!!! A cgi'd Patrice Oneal as the lead in this woulda been the dream!! 🤣
Atlanta & Boondocks episodes have done waaaay better with similar topics too..
Such a wasted opportunity to say something real. Just mehhh...
this is what happens when you try to be serious and do comedy at the same time, especially for the length of the whole movie. I think for this concept to work it would have to be a straight up comedy where you can play on it from all sorts of angles. To do it as a drama you have to do the trope because that is how its designed so if you were trying to send a message whilst doing the trope you would have to flip it and have the cuacasion be the "magical negro".
I totally thought this was gonna be a meta film about the film trope
Why cant the waynas understand we need them to make movies I mean seriously they should be in charge of all movies lol even thrillers they get it they really do forget Tyler Perry who’s living rent free in everyones head Wayans would save the movie industry in one movie lol one trailer lol
A lot of their recent films hadn't done very well, because the parody subgenre had become stale.
They'll need to produce original stories if they wish to regain traction.
Well, that's a bummer. I liked the trailer, too. It did come off as a romcom but I expected some more substance based on the premise.
Seemed to have some similarities to The Adjustment Bureau.
I would never use the ''N'' word ever.
I really appreciate your reviews, I've become watching more and more of them over the past few months. I found it a little odd, however, that you remained rhetorically neutral on Ayn Rand given how much she contributed to cultural fascism
I was in the movie theater looking at white people like am as confused as y’all😂😂
Among many other issues, I think you're right to identify that both Justice Smith and Drew Tarver are miscast here. Justice Smith doesn't feel like the right actor to embody the issues he's been written to be struggling with, (as you've identified, he mostly just seems like a pushover.) And Drew Tarver just...never seems like a legitimate enough threat for all of this bother. Like you don't feel an undercurrent of potential racist violence there. He also reads as too much of a pushover.
Oddly, I think swapping out Tarver for another actor in the movie, Rupert Friend, might have played a little better. Though the writing problems would still be there...
David Alan Grier deserves better than this.
Thanks for this review. Everything else I read was so racially charged it was hard to see where the movies flaws were because the trailer did seem promising had they really nailed the execution
WORST Movie EVER MADE
This movie sounds like a Uncle Tom film. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish with that script 😕. Sad.
Great review, you two 👏 👍.
Maybe the concept should have been set in 60s- 80s era. But the movie sounds like it was all over the place
The ai not recognizing the guana people was weird. Tales from the hood robot had more interesting intelligence and that was round 2000s 😂
The only movie like this that really nailed this kind of thing was "undercover brother", which was very sharp and funny. I agree to do this kind of provocative subject matter, it really needs to be really sharp and smart, or it is kind of what this is, and gets the reviews this is getting. The whole thing made little sense, was timid in the wrong places (yeah, the nobody white person he was helping just did not make sense and really I could not connect the film to its point with its story. Maybe if they did some kind of funny bit that "if we do not placate even the lamest white person "x" happens?). It actually felt kind of dated. Maybe if this came out 30 years ago this maybe (?) would have felt more daring.
I think that this movie would be stronger if it was primarily a comedy instead of a drama. Maybe David Allen Grier should have directed the movie.
Drew Tarver is a funny bi actor from The Other Two 2019 Sitcom. This film is beneath the talent involved.
This is still just one review people. Go watch the movie and form your own opinion. Stop being a follower and talking crazy about a movie you haven’t seen!
Yeah it’s a good movie, I saw it yesterday. I think people are just intimidated with the title & subject matter of the film, I don’t know I really enjoyed it.
Idk, 30% on Rotten Tom out of 50+ reviews, so…
Should’ve been a book. Didn’t do enough with the premise. At all.
I liked it a lot. I dont think everyone will like it or be able to relate to or understand it. Depends on your life experiences
The movie is good, not racist at all.
oh-....this is not cute (i'm talking about the movie)
This thumbnail is misleading I was convinced Nick loved this film based on the thumbnail lol
Gotcha!
I just saw this movie last night - the 9pm Saturday 03.16.2024 showing at the AMC La Jolla 12 in San Diego, California! I agree that the monologue toward the end during the big confrontation scene felt not only like something that Aren (Justice Smith) wouldn't say but also felt like it came from a completely different movie! The "magic" was basically on the level of the 1960's TV show Bewitched. As a satire on race, I felt like it was more successful as a more subtle satire on the toxicity of customer service culture that degrades those doing the serving and creates an environment that seems to excuse bad behavior on the part of those being served. Early on the Society refers to what it does as being a "client service business" - the kind of corporate speak that makes something sound more noble and professional than it really is. I agree the crotch grabbing thing was a bit weird/cringe! Overall though, I liked this movie. The characters were great. - I liked David Alan Grier, too! I liked the rom com stuff. The ideas the movie was discussing were important and this movie represented a different way of doing that. The audience in the auditorium actually laughed a few times - when I saw AMERICAN FICTION last January the audience only laughed once! Thank you Fish Jelly Film Reviews (@fishjellyfilms)for seeing this movie and reviewing it for us!
I love the movie
One of the most disappointing films so far this year, in terms of expectations from the trailer and premise vs reality of the execution.
Not me always thinking Joseph was butch. 😮
All they had to do is make black ppl magical for all ppl not for white ppls gain only. Black wizards would have been cool. They messed up with the title and the overall premise.
Astronomy Club did it better
Don't know about You guys, but I'm only calling it the American Society. Less offensive and plus it's a better title
Oh no... the description of the crotch-grabbing... oh no. This movie is not serious. It's just for giggles and eye rolls. 🙄
Did you even hear their review? It's like it doesn't even have giggles and eye rolls🤦♀
The director's biracialness popped OUT and now i have to be embarrassed
Epic Fail
I don't get these negative reviews. There's a difference between "not as good as it could have been", and "not good". Could the satire have been more biting? In theory, yes. But BEING a PG-13 movie (I assume at the insistence of the studio) about racism? Probably not in practice.
I feel like you missed some things that I thought the movie was very clear about. For instance, the whole point is that the reason Justice Smith's character is invisible, is because he's trying to protect himself from White people. That's literally why he gets recruited. Because that's the job at The Society. So of course we're not going to see him threatened by Whites in normal day to day, and why we need the "purse snatching" scene.
Or at the end of the movie, the reason he didn't get brain wiped is because everyone in the society watched his epiphany speech, and some of the members had decided to follow his example. So David Allen Greer's powers weren't working.
I also think you're not doing enough (satire being a genre that demands a lot from it's audience), even while complaining that the film doesn't do enough. The answer to why The Society is worried about regular White people, and why their White Tears don't have to relate to Black people to be dangerous to us, is because we're living in the world where regular people's misplaced frustrations are endangering Black people... The world where the MAGA movement exists, and might put Trump in the White House again (which he'll presumably have a better plan to stay in forever this time).
Don't get me wrong. This thing definitely could have used an R-rating and a few more passes in order to reach the full potential of the premise. But I definitely think that even in it's nuetered form it's got things worth saying to the 80% of the population White, Black, or otherwise who aren't already ultra socially progressive. You want the movie to meet you where you're at, but it's actually for people at a different place in their journey... Like the White person who needs to hear that a Black person saying you made them uncomfortable is about them feeling uncomfortable, not you feeling like that's an accusation of racism (from the epiphany speech), or a Black/Mixed person like Justice's character, who doesn't realize just how much they're limiting themselves for the comfort of White people, because they've never really unpacked it.
Still on the fence about seeing the movie, but thank you for the well-written response to the video. It was nice to hear a different perspective.
Just got back from seeing the movie and I agree. While it could have been better with a more nuanced approach and if it dug deeper into these topics, I don't think it was a "bad/not good movie." I look at it as like an elementary/introductory version of these topics, and who you said this movie is for is exactly what I was thinking about on my car ride home. It's for black or biracial people who haven't unpacked yet how much they limit themselves or alter their behavior, appearance, or speech for the comfort of white people and it's for white people who need to learn to deal with their discomfort and become more cognitively aware of how their actions/behaviors effect the lives of people of color. For people who are passed this point in their journey, they might not get too much out of the movie, but for others the insight you gain is pretty good for a basic introductory topic.
The negative reviews is because it wasn’t good and wasted the premise on nothing.
Like, who are these white people he’s protecting himself from? The story wants you to believe that right off the bat White people are dangerous and yet the story doesn’t explore any of that. Does he feel this way based on the news? What’s going on in the world in the movie to give us a sense of he’s protecting himself? If the series wants us to go, he’s protecting himself because of experiences in real life, then that doesn’t work.
Why do these people suddenly change due to this epiphany speech? Why did they never ever think this before. Why does he have to make this speech for people to change their minds?
You cannot say that white peoples fruetration is endeangering black peoples, when the story doesn’t go into what that is.. you’re hoping that real life does all the storytelling for this movie instead of the movie actually doing any of the work to set up its theming to make the story work. Do we see the Maga movement in this movie? So we see what that looks like.
And now we have the issue that. You’re one of those people who believe that black people need to accommodate for white people
@@BabyGirlTiny - First of all, nowhere did I say that Black people should have to accommodate White people. So pump your brakes on that bullshit.
Second, I saw the movie. I know it's not good and severely undeserved the premise. That's not the criticism the I don't understand.
What I don't get... Or more accurately what I don't think is a valid criticism, is the idea that the movie thinks Black people should be accommodating White people. Yes, The Society thinks that in the movie, but the story of the movie is literally the main character figuring out that he shouldn't be accommodating White people once The Society makes him realize how much he's already doing that.
What I'm confused about is why there's so many negative reviews complaining that the movie is pushing the "wrong" message when it's not. It's just not pushing the "right" message as hard as the reviewers want, and they don't seem to know the difference. It's just poor media literacy. Which is something of a problem when you're doing media analysis.
I loved it. It’s a satire. It’s not wish fulfillment. It’s NOT supposed to be Black Harry Potter - that’s a DIFFERENT movie that should be made also, but this movie was supposed to be something else. The “Magical Negro” trope is a long-standing stock character in American novels and films, designed to make white people happy. It references things like The Legend Of Bagger Vance and The Green Mile.
Thank you for this review. There was no way I was watching this movie as a Black woman, but I wanted to know how it turned out. I think most Black women will hate this movie. I hated the trailer.
Look, I haven't seen the movie and I'm not sure if I want to spend $25 to see it in the theaters. Even though fantasy/romance films with a Black lead is right up my alley I saw the trailer and it just felt like a bad SNL skit. To quote Black Twitter, we would rather have 'Black Hogwarts.' Take the magical negro trope and subvert it into Black people being powerful for their own lives and joy which would piss the White folks off; Idk they could've shown where a Black woman is annoyed by her White female coworker's girl boss rant and the Black woman mutes her coworker or makes her disappear. Something other than a watered down comedy about a trope that stemmed from racial trauma. TBH, there are comedy sketches that have dealt with the subject of the 'Magical Negro' in a better fashion. With that being said, I still may see it bc with Black leads should be diverse- that includes mixed reviewed or even terrible and still make money just like other films do.
Loved this break down. I too wanted to love this movie but alas 🫤
Should've probably been an indie film.
Another flop