THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES is a fresh, satirical comedy about a young man, Aren, who is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people’s lives easier.
For in-depth thoughts on The American Society Of Magical Negroes, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings The American Society Of Magical Negroes to Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 with a stellar 1080p video presentation that captures the story in an ideal manner. The transfer captures dynamic colors within the environment, costumes, and production design, which saturates the frame favorably. The black levels are deep and committed, but digital noise peeks through in a few moments. Highlights are firm with no blooming to mention.
The presentation provides an impressive amount of depth on display, especially thanks to the photography of Doug Emmett The image is textured and detailed with the natural color palette emanating off the screen. The discrete details of each location are on full display throughout the journey. The film has a consistent aesthetic which is translated favorably on disc. The skin tones are natural with subtle nuances showcased well in close-ups and medium shots. While this would look nice with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Universal has made a nice effort with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that brings this story to life perfectly. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever falling victim to a sonic swirl of concurrent voices or other environmental sounds. Everything is mixed with precision as directionality is carefully executed across the channels. The sounds of this new experience provide a significant amount of activity in the rear channels, and music and other bustling moments add additional texture in the low end. The score from Michael Abels and certain key songs establish the mood of the narrative with careful fidelity. These elements saturate the room effectively. Universal has provided a track that accomplishes everything that is asked of it. There are optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director/Writer/Producer Kobi Libii provides a solid commentary track in which he discusses the production of the film, layering melodies into the score, the intention behind specific color grades, real-life microaggressions he has experienced, working with David Alan Grier, and so much more.
- Secret Society Members: A nearly six-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the characters and their roles in the film.
- Crafting A Magical Society: A four-minute piece in which all of the key players discuss the efforts that went into creating this world from the cinematography to the costumes, production design, and more.
- Speaking Your Truth: A four-minute look at how the film tackles issues of race in a way that is both humorous and thoughtful.
Final Thoughts
The American Society Of Magical Negroes is often hilarious and thought-provoking, yet it is not quite brave enough to tackle the issues at hand with the bite and nuance to make it a classic satire. The audience-friendly nature of the feature seems almost antithetical to what audiences should be thinking after walking away from this one. The performances are terrific, especially from the underrated David Alan Grier. To make a movie with this material, you must have an unyielding sense of purpose, but the final product does not live up to the promise of its premise. It is not a bad film, but its unevenness could be more upsetting to certain audiences. Universal Picture Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that delivers a wonderful A/V presentation and a fine selection of special features. The film is worth checking out to make up your own mind about the handling of the subject matter. Recommended
The American Society Of Magical Negroes is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
