Title – American Fiction (2023) 

Director – Cord Jefferson (feature debut) 

Cast – Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Adam Brody 

Plot – Struggling teacher and writer Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Wright) gets caught up in the very industry he despises when he writes a mock novel that stereotypes the Black American experience, propelling his writing under the cover off an alias into the spotlight in ways he could never have imagined. 

“Geniuses are loners because they can’t connect with the rest of us”

Review by Eddie on 06/09/2024

One of the surprise success stories of the 2023 release calendar, that has culminated in Cord Jefferson’s debut feature adaptation of Percival Everett’s decades old novel becoming one of the key players of this years Oscar season (including nominations for Best Picture, Actor and Adapted Screenplay), American Fiction is a sometimes vibrant offering but one that needed to focus more on its unique examination of stereotypes of modern America rather than the uninteresting and generic family/character narrative elements that are far from noteworthy. 

Previously best known for his work in the TV space with the likes of Master of None and the Watchmen HBO mini-series, Jefferson’s debut is at times bitingly funny and incredibly insightful and any chance we get to witness the always great Jeffrey Wright take on a rare leading role is a good thing but all the winning elements of Fiction are never too far away from being shunned to the side-lines to give us time to explore the likes of Wright’s Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison’s budding relationship with Erika Alexander’s Coraline, his trials with his ailing mother or other such subplots that really don’t feel like they add greatly to the films core hook. 

Advertised and garnering much public adoration around the love for its central tale of Monk’s jaded outlook on life and how the black experience is treated in modern day American media, leading him to take matters into his own hands and create a self-depreciating work of fiction written under and alias that against expectations takes over and becomes the biggest thing in modern literature, Fiction has a blast when it allows itself to focus in on this aspect of its tale that is bought to life wonderfully by Wright who arguably has never been better. 

A well regarded performer who has thrived from from everything from TV series like Westworld, Oscar fair or blockbusters like The Batman or The Hunger Games, Wright has constantly been a familiar face to many but his rightfully Oscar nominated turn as Monk here is a new career moment for the esteemed actor and amongst all of Fiction’s ups and downs and wins and losses, Wright remains on top throughout and in any other year would be a worthy winner of the Best Actor field. 

Unable to fully grasp its nature as a comedy, a social commentary/satire, a character study and a generic family/relationship drama, when Fiction hits the high notes its clear to see what all the hype is about but too much of this film is left wanting in key areas, making it a strange mix of highs and lows that are at odds with one another. 

Final Say – 

It’s not hard to see why American Fiction has found itself front and centre of awards season but when you look past the hype there’s a strangely generic affair infecting much of this otherwise unique genre mash-up that ends up at odds with itself with only its leading man coming out unscathed. 

2 1/2 nosy neighbours out of 5