I got to see this movie early at a screening because I will be working on the awards campaign for work. So, off the bat, that should tell you a little bit about this movie that they are anticipating an awards push. I actually hadn’t even heard of this movie until recently and ended up seeing the trailer for the first time only a few days before I was assigned to the project. The trailer makes the film seem like a comedy. Pointed and satirical, but light and funny. And the movie itself is that but it also isn’t.

American Fiction tells the story of author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison who is struggling to sell books and finds himself frustrated with a society that only appreciates “Black stories” as stories of hardships and stereotypes. In response, he writes a fake book under a pseudonym making fun of these stories and the book becomes a success. The majority of the comedy comes from that storyline. But I was not expecting the movie to lean into Monk’s family as much as it did. I would honestly classify the film as more of a family drama than a comedy. Or maybe it’s 50/50. Either way, the movie somehow mixes contrasting tones, the humor of Monk’s book journey and the pain and sadness of Monk’s family, really well. It could easily feel jarring and like two completely separate films, but I felt like they blended nearly seamlessly. It also gave the movie an interesting tenor. Without the lightness of the book storyline, it easily could’ve been a wholly sad and depressing experience. But the movie doesn’t let you sit in the grief for too long before jumping in with a bit of hijinks. I laughed way more than I felt like crying.

The idea of the movie is really fascinating and it is definitely the kind of movie that is meant to be probing. It asks a lot of questions but doesn’t tell the audience how to answer them or what the filmmakers think the answer is. Even the end doesn’t really provide a conclusion to the story, just a fun, very meta twist that I won’t spoil. But while Monk is our main character and we’re meant to be on his side for most of the film, I like how the movie turns that around towards the end and tells us that, while he’s not wrong, he’s not necessarily totally right either. I think the entire movie hinges on a conversation between Monk (played by Jeffrey Wright) and fellow author Sintara Golden (played by Issa Rae) about their books and writing styles and opinions on what stories deserve to be told. Is one really better than the other? Who gets to decide that? The movie doesn’t try to answer that and I definitely won’t either.

The movie makes a pointed joke of showing the way white people make a big show of appreciating Black stories and artists and holding them up, whether it’s for the artists’ sake or to assuage white guilt or to “achieve” diversity or all of the above. But this idea had me thinking about how this movie will play out during awards season. Does the movie achieving success and getting rewards and honors just prove the points the film is trying to make? And if it does, is that a bad thing? Once again, I am definitely not the person to even try to answer these questions but I just think it is interesting to think about how a movie that holds a mirror up to society is then received by that society.

The cast is all charming and real. Jeffrey Wright captures Monk perfectly and Issa Rae does a lot with a smaller role. The two standouts to me were Adam Brody and Sterling K. Brown. I just want to see more of Adam Brody in everything. Between this and Fleishman is in Trouble earlier this year, he is really stepping into different roles and I love it for him and for me. Sterling K. Brown is just on a different level. He is beyond fantastic in everything he does and is just so incredibly talented. He is especially gifted at playing characters that are frustrating and lovable at the same time. You want to shake them then hug them. I’m always happy to see him on screen in any capacity.

I would definitely recommend people check out this movie when it comes out. It’s funny but with purpose and feels timely but not preachy. A fun experience to watch, a movie that makes you think, and a potential awards contender – you can’t miss!

2023 Count: 28 seasons, 48 movies, 1 special