American Fiction is a film that takes on racial stereotypes in a very interesting way with Jeffrey Wright giving probably his most compelling performance as a black author who wrote a satirical piece targeting how African-Americans are depicted in modern literature that was taken far more seriously than he intended.

The source material is a novel entitled by Erasure by Percival Everett. Cord Jefferson wrote and directed the adaptation with the aforementioned Jeffrey Wright in the lead. The talented cast includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, and Adam Brody. 

Wright portrays a black writer and university professor named Thelonious “Monk” Ellison who has published compelling fiction, but he is far from being a bestseller. He is forced to take some leave after losing his patience with students when discussing racial issues. He returns to how hometown to Boston to reconnect with his dysfunctional yet affluent family as he attends a literary seminar. He encounters another author, played by Issa Rae, who has written a more popular, which in Monk’s estimation, promotes the worst of black stereotypes. Although Monk’s family has defied many of those stereotypes, it has more than its share of problems. Monk is alarmed to see signs that his mother is showing some significant cognitive decline. His sister dies suddenly, and his estranged brother returns bringing his troubles along with him. Monk then writes a novel of his own and creates a more thuggish persona as a pseudonym, thinking he is creating satire and making a grand point about the false stereotypes of black American culture. The problem is that the audience and critics miss the point he was attempting to make about how shallow and insipid this work should be deemed and give it far more credence than he expected.

The story displays an impressive mixture of dark comedy and genuine tragedy as more of Monk’s family background comes to light for the audience, and more predicaments arise. Everyone in the cast does well, but Wright in particular just seems to have been the perfect fit for his part.

There are some moments in the film that seem to drag, but that’s not terribly surprising for something in this genre. There are some complex characters, and the plot itself takes a bit more reflection and concentration than much of Hollywood’s output these days. The ending is a bit confusing and a little unsatisfying, but I will avoid spoilers here. The idea may be to reflect how life really can get. Many chapters in a person’s life are confusing and unsatisfying, and I may be missing a point by grumbling about that aspect of the film.

It’s a film that is likely to stir up some interesting discussion and debate for those that look for something more meaningful in the cinematic arts. I don’t find it be a flawless film, but it is certainly much better than many of the recent onslaught of mediocrity coming out of Tinseltown.