Throughout the years, Jeffrey Wright has popped up in many films that I have either liked or disliked, but I have always loved him. I feel that he does not get enough opportunities to lead a film on his own and for that reason alone, I was looking forward to American Fiction. While being a writer on television, Cord Jefferson also makes his feature film writing and directing debut here and that alone is awards-worthy. So much about this film came together nicely and I believe it is one of the very best films of 2023, along with many other people. Now playing in select theatres, here is why American Fiction is worth your time.

In this very funny drama, Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is a superb author who just hasn't had the success he wishes he had (in sales). Completely annoyed about a new author in Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), due to the subject matter and the way the dialogue is written in her new book, he finds himself being a hypocrite and falling into fame and fortune, by acting as an uneducated writer and publishing a new book that ends up flying off the shelves. With the backdrop of a dead family member and his mother's deteriorating condition, very real family drama is also present. That description of American Fiction may not say that it is a comedy, but trust me, there are quite a few real laughs to be had. This film feels like a satire on our society and that was the brilliance of it.

Jeffrey Wright deserves every bit of praise that his performance has been getting and it is quite honestly, probably his best performance, period. Aside from Wright though, the supporting cast does nothing but elevate his performance even further. Sterling K. Brown as his brother was terrific and their on-and-off relationship with each other felt very authentic to how real families behave. John Ortiz has his publisher garnered many laughs from me, but the best and absolute worst part about this film came down to the overall message, and Adam Brody as Wiley Valdespino brought it home. He portrays one of the worst kinds of people you have to deal with in today's society, all while thinking he's not that way at all. I loved and hated every second of his brief screen time. The performances from everyone involved were all fantastic.

As I said though, I am truly blown away by the fact that director Cord Jefferson had only previously written episodes of television. This film seemed to have been made by a veteran director and writer. The script is the perfect amount of clever, funny, dark, and dramatic. I am sure it has a very small budget, so I can only imagine what Jefferson could accomplish on a larger scale. If this is just his first outing, I can not wait to see what he does next. American Fiction is one that many audiences can appreciate because I feel that it has a little something for everyone. If you can find a showing of it, I highly recommend giving this one a shot. It is not nearly getting the audience it deserves, so spread the word.