American Fiction

In selected cinemas

Adapted from Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, the directorial debut of writer-director Cord Jefferson is centred on Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a frustrated college professor and author whose professional frustrations reach boiling point when he becomes aware of the success of a fellow novelist (Issa Rae) and her bestseller, which panders to black stereotypes. However, following an unexpected family crisis, Monk finds himself penning his own send-up under the pseudonym ‘Stagg R. Leigh’ and subjected to the sort of commercial and critical acclaim that has evaded him for much of his life.

One of the greatest qualities of American Fiction is that it provides a showcase for the talents of Wright, who has long been one of the most underrated actors working in Hollywood today. Here, he demonstrates that he has comedic chops to match his long established dramatic prowess, with Monk’s vitriolic analysis of contemporary cultural consumption providing much of the film’s laughs.

What is most compelling about Jefferson’s screenplay though is that it does not necessarily endorse the worldview of its protagonist, but instead compares it with the contrasting viewpoints of the film’s other key players. This is perhaps evidenced by a late exchange Monk has with Rae’s character which, depending on which side of the fence you sit on, makes his anger look misplaced.

Rae is one of many stellar supporting cast members, with Sterling K. Brown also excelling as Monk’s estranged brother. However, the undoubted star of the show is Jefferson, whose razor-sharp writing channels the early work of Spike Lee and more recent auteurs such as Boots Riley and Jordan Peele. This is a hyper-intelligent opener that is often laugh-out-loud funny, proving that there is more than one way to tackle complicated societal issues.