A young man, Aren, 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. If The Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith is proclaimed “the greatest picture ever made,” then the “Magical Negro” — a Black supporting character who exists solely to serve a white protagonist’s storyline — has been a stock character trope since the inception of American cinema.

Debut director Kobi Libii engages this trope in this clever satire and delightful fairytale-like romantic comedy about the coming of age of a young Black man who is propositioned to become a real-life Magical Negro upon narrowly escaping death after a string of racial microaggressions get out of hand. The American Society of Magical Negroes is a must-see satire about what it means for Black people to protect and care for ourselves and each other. Libii’s auspicious debut is destined to find its place in the cinematic canon of essential films about American culture.—SF