American Fiction
2023
****
Director: Cord Jefferson
Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Adam Brody, Keith David, Okieriete Onaodowan
Thelonious "Monk" Ellison is a struggling black novelist. As a joke, he writes a trashy novel that he believes white people want to read, and it becomes an unexpected critical and commercial hit. Cord Jefferson's directorial debut is a smart, funny, and poignant satirical comedy that mocks the stereotypical depiction of the black experience. The satire is on the back burner in the second half, which concentrates more on Monk's family issues. Jeffrey Wright is terrific, and so is the rest of the cast. Jefferson's Academy Award winning script was adapted from Percival Everett's 2001 novel Erasure.
