annebouscal

I don't write many reviews because by the time I watch a film, someone else has already said it better. However, it is evident to me that many IMDB reviewers just don't understand the nature of satire.

According to the Ig Nobel Society, satire is meant to "first make people laugh, and then make them think".

The American Society of Magical Negroes (ASMN) did exactly that for me. In a culture where citizens rely on anonymous posts from social media for their world views, Magical Negroes showed how shallow those platforms really are. Far from trying to help their audiences with health, political, and world news, social media owners are interested only in their own agendas and bottom lines.

We've all heard about the talks Black parents need to have with their children once they're old enough to venture into the world on their own. If you haven't heard, check your privilege.

Similarly, in this film, the onus is on Black "magicians" to make White people feel "comfortable" around people of color. ASMN makes its point with strong characters and deft writing.

As a white woman heading into her 8th decade, I enjoyed the film's magical moments. The all-too-familiar and tiresome office politics eventually revealed their basis in privilege, sexism, and racism, but at least one character experienced a moment of redemption with the words, "I didn't know."

Best watched with an open mind, a healthy dose of curiousity, and a playful spirit.

It's unfortunate that the people who panned this series didn't watch past episode 1. I agree that the premise required a credibility stretch, but I think that the producers and writers have done a superb job of laying the groundwork to make the pieces come together. I just watched episode 4.

Rather than a police procedural, the story is more about how individuals and those around them shouldn't set themselves up for failure because of perceived limitations. The protagonist learns to take risks with her relationships, her job, and her life which show her true strengths, limitations, and a way forward. She also realizes she can't do it alone or the same way she did things before.

The lead has sight limitations and the series has a low sight consultant to ensure vision loss is depicted accurately. For those who think they have a handle on how a person who has lost their sight should walk and move, remember that the character has a degenerative condition and has been adapting since the symptoms began just like a person with a broken leg or one who is losing hearing adapts.