American Fiction

Writer-director Cord Jefferson’s debut film is part blistering satire about the shallowness of diversity politics in cultural industries, part enrapturing character study and family drama.

Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) with his brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown, to his left), and girlfriend Coraline (Erika Alexander) in American Fiction

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This post is part of the ‘One Take’ weekly series analysing the politics of a film currently showing at the cinemas.

Content warnings: Racism; Suicide; Dementia.

Note: Given that, at time of writing, American Fiction is still showing in UK cinemas, this analysis only lays out as much of the film’s scenario as is necessary so as to avoid spoilers. It is therefore suitable to be read either before or after watching the film, while hopefully still enriching the viewer’s appreciation of it either way.