American Fiction is the one of the best recent examples I can think of that takes a mundane subject matter and presenting it in a truly fascinating way. Because the idea of a black author writing the most stereotypical, cliche-ridden book possible on the so-called "black experience" and dealing with the consequences doesn't immediately sound like the most captivating watch. In the end though, I was honestly amazed at just how engaging this movie ended up being throughout.

This is without a doubt one of the funniest movies I've seen in the last year. It's very effective as a dark comedy but it also does what all the best satires should do and shock you at just how plausible all the situations it's presenting are. I adored Jeffrey Wright as this main character who I never quite knew how to feel about in all the right ways. He's part genius, part snake oil salesman and the scenes where he's having to wrestle with his own morality are my favourite in the whole movie, and also frequently the funniest. I also loved Sterling K. Brown as his younger brother who adds a good dose of wholesomeness to the whole thing. The script has so much to say about African American representation in the media and I never thought it missed a beat in how it's commentary. It's so fascinating in how it depicts this subject and I respected how it debated the ways in which modern society has created these cliches but also the ways in which the artists themselves are perpetuating them as well. I will say that the film does follow 2 distinct plot threads and anything away from the publishing world I was never quite as interested in, though I will say I was almost equally as invested.

I really, truly loved the approach this movie took and it's one of the most memorable 2023 movies I've seen. It's got so many quotable lines and I loved the experience of watching these hilarious scenes in a theatre. It has so much to say and I never found it clunky in its execution, honestly I already can't wait to watch it again to pick up on new details. Despite being an adaption of a book, it still feels wholly original and I really don't feel as if I've seen a film depict representation in this manner. Believe me when I say that this 100% deserves the massive amount of excitement it's generated and I could honestly recommend it to anyone.