American Fiction
American Fiction
A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
Loved this. Jeffrey Wright plays Thelonius “Monk” Ellison, an academic, and published author who’s having difficulty finding distribution for his latests work because it’s not “black” enough. Out of frustration and indignation he pens a new book under a pseudonym that panders to a white audience and perpetuates negative black stereotypes. You can probably guess what happens next. Funny from start to finish filled with acerbic wit, thought provoking satire and thick with irony. Jeffrey Wright is perfectly cast as Monk/Stagg R Leigh. Also Sterling K Brown is shirtless the entire movie. Plus, put Adam Brody in everything and give us The Kid Detective sequel we all deserve. Also reminded me of Adaptation in many ways. Highly recommend.