buteea

I had high hopes for Am I Racist? After seeing the trailer, and while the film had some genuinely funny moments, it didn't fully meet my expectations. Matt Walsh did let the other side talk, and in many cases, they exposed themselves quite a bit. However, I think the film could have gone even deeper if Walsh had taken a more subtle approach. Many of the questions and comments he made sounded pretty much exactly like what they were: A right-wing person trying trying to pretend to Take on a left wing view of race relations.

Throughout the mockumentary, it was clear that people were suspicious of him-often because his satirical comments were obvious, and this put them more on guard than they probably would have been if he had asked more genuine, open-ended questions that were worded in a manner more in line with how they actually think.

One such moment was when Walsh interviewed Robin DiAngelo. By presenting contradictions in her thinking in a 'confused' and inquisitive tone, he managed to highlight the flaws without being overly confrontational or raising much suspicion. If the film had maintained this kind of subtle questioning throughout, I think it would have been even more effective in exposing the contradictions in modern discussions on race. As it stands, the film feels like it missed an opportunity to dig deeper and reach a wider audience by over-relying on obvious satire. I predict that it will fall short of reaching or affecting people who do not already stand on the same side of the discussion as Matt Walsh.

It's still worth watching if you enjoy political satire, but I think it could have been stronger with a more nuanced approach.