The present day is its own beast, with its uniquely divided political climate, a generation with an obsessively self-centered need for validation, vain platitudes that swing so absurdly far that it ends up being offensive in the opposite direction - all ripe with opportunities for satire that Cord Jefferson's "American Fiction" masterfully capitalizes on.

The brilliant Jeffrey Wright leads the charge as Thelonious Ellison, a writer frustrated by the Limousine liberal elite's constant need to define the Black existence by it's most unsavory caricatures - where stories are deemed "not black enough" if it doesn't include gang violence, deadbeat dads, police brutality and all that. He then decides to anonymously write an absurdly over-the-top blacksploitation novel with all the tropes he despises to prove a point, but is surprised when the low-hanging joke goes right over everyone's heads becoming a chart topping best-seller for all the wrong reasons.

While "American Fiction" is a brilliant satire, exposing the absurdities of the pandering present, it makes sure to not just stop there. It's also a touching family drama as if to prove a point against that which it satirizes. The movie never feels excessive or unnecessary and stays well aware of when it might get a little too carried away. It sure does have its faults, but it's nonetheless an entertaining and thought-provoking watch.