‘American Fiction’: Jeffery Wright Stars in Entertaining and Smart Film (Review)

There have been plenty of movies that have shed light on stereotypes. But there are not too many films that talk about the expectations that are set in Black literature. American Fiction is all about how Black authors are viewed in the literature world and what they are expected to write. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure written by Percival Everett, American Fiction is the debut film of director Cord Jefferson, who previously worked as a journalist. While the movie has a strong central message, it’s deeper than expected, which makes it one of the best films of the year.

Jeffery Wright stars as Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, a frustrated novelist tired of the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on offensive tropes. This leads to him writing a book under a pen name that leans into the tropes to make fun of the industry. But the plan backfires as the book becomes a major success, which frustrates Monk even more. 

Wright is one of the most respected actors in the industry, as he’s won a Tony Award and Golden Globe Award while being nominated for four Emmy Awards. It would be surprising if Wright didn’t earn an Academy Award for his role as he didn’t hold back on Monk’s anger and frustration throughout the film. Monk is not a very likable character, but Wright made you want to pull for him because he was trying to change the literature industry positively.

But as much as Wright stood out in American Fiction, the supporting cast made the film a hit. Tracee Ellis Ross plays Monk’s sister Lisa and has arguably the best relationship with Monk. Ross’ role stands out for multiple reasons and makes the biggest impact in the film. Sterling K. Brown plays Monk’s brother Cliff and has his share of memorable scenes, including a moment where it’s supposed to be sad for the family. Erika Alexander plays Coraline who is Monk’s love interest. She brings a strong energy to the movie and has already earned award nominations for her role. Finally, Issa Rae plays Sintara Golden, an author who wrote the book We’s Lives in Da Ghetto, which is a bestseller. Rae’s character and Wright’s character have a healthy debate toward the end of the film that makes you think about stereotypes in literature and life in general.

The cast also includes standout performances from John Ortiz, Leslie Uggams, Keith David and Adam Brody. But credit also has to go to Jefferson, who also wrote the script. He was able to balance different genres in the film, including family drama and romantic comedy, making it a movie that is very original and refreshing. How he ended the movie was interesting and will be talked about, but American Fiction has everything you want in a film, making it a candidate to win Best Picture at the Oscars.