Monk is a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. A film by Cord Jefferson, starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown.

Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is a highly intelligent and very talented African-American writer and professor in Los Angeles. He receives academic praise for his novels and takes pride in his work, despite their poor sales.

This is a class on the literature of the American south. You’re going to encounter some archaic thoughts, coarse language, but we’re all adults here and I think we can understand it within the context in which it’s written.

However, after multiple incidents, including a recent outburst towards students on racial issues that made a white female student uncomfortable, have prompted the university committee, Leo (John Ales), Mandy (Patrick Fischler), and Gilda (Carmen Cusack), to place Monk on temporary leave. They suggest he spend this time with his family in Boston, where he is scheduled to attend Massachusetts Festival of Books. Though attending the festival is part of his plan, Thelonious harbors a deep dislike for Boston, which is precisely why he left for Los Angeles years ago.

Last month you asked a student if his family had been Nazis.

At the seminar, Monk is surprised to see that his panel has very few attendees. Jordan Phillips (Stephen Burrell) explains that they’re up against the best-selling new author, Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), who is giving an interview in the main hall. Intrigued, Monk heads to the main hall and is even more surprised to see that Sintara’s interview is packed with people. This is especially puzzling to him, considering he views her best-selling book, “We’s Lives in Da Ghetto,” as a stereotypical portrayal of black lives. Monk receives bad news from his agent Arthur (John Ortiz), informing him that Echo Publishing has passed on his latest manuscript, claiming it’s not “black enough.”

I was an assistant at a publisher. I was a first reader meaning I would read all the manuscripts in the slush pile and send them up the ladder if they were any good. Some of them were great, most were not. But the feeling I couldn’t shake was that no matter how good the books were, most every submission was from some white dude from New York going through a divorce, and too few of them were about my people.

Monk later visits his sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross), a doctor who works at Boston Family Planning. She brings him home to their mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams), and their beloved housekeeper Lorraine (Myra Lucretia Taylor). Lisa becomes concerned when Agnes forgets that Lisa is no longer married. Then Lisa reveals that she resents being the sole caretaker of their mother since Monk and their brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), left home a long time ago. She also reveals that she found love letters hinting at her late father’s affairs, and that she witnessed her father kiss a white woman, which comes as a shocking revelation for Monk.

My dining room table was wobbly as hell before your last book came out. It was, like, perfect.

Agnes is diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s, soon requiring around-the-clock care. Frustrated by Sintara’s success and the mounting costs of his mother’s care, Monk embarks on writing “My Pafology,” a satirical novel mocking the stereotypical expectations publishers hold for black writers. He submits the manuscript to his agent, Arthur, with a request to send it to publishers under the pseudonym “Stagg R. Leigh,” confident that no one will publish it once they grasp his true intent: to expose and ridicule these harmful stereotypes. Hesitantly at first, Arthur eventually agreed to send the manuscript to a few publishers.

I’m trying to sell books, not be a part of some crusade. This thing scares me. White people think they want the truth, but they don’t. They just want to feel absolved.

Arthur summons Monk to his office to deliver the great news that his book is sold. Initially happy, thinking that his book “The Persians” will finally get published, he is shocked when Arthur reveals that “My Pafology” is offered a $750,000 preempt from Thompson-Watt. Monk is upset and doesn’t want to write, but Arthur convinces him that this deal could solve his financial problems.

For most of your career, your books have been Blue. They’re good, complex. But they’re not popular, because most people want something easy. Now, for the first time ever, you’ve written a Red book. It’s simple, prurient. It’s not great literature, but satisfies an urge. And that’s valuable.

Based on Percival Everett’s acclaimed 2001 novel “Erasure,” Cord Jefferson makes his directorial debut with the captivating film AMERICAN FICTION. This meticulously crafted story boasts an impressive ensemble cast, led by powerhouse performances from Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross. The film masterfully blends humor and drama, offering genuine laugh-out-loud moments that seamlessly integrate into the narrative flow.

What elevates AMERICAN FICTION is its clever metafictional structure, crafting a captivating “fiction within fiction” experience. Hilarious yet unpredictable, the film invites viewers to engage with its themes and messages in their own unique way, leaving enough room for personal interpretation.

That is perfect. Time to pick out your tux, my brother. We’re going to the big show.

The film also features engaging supporting characters, including Coraline, a neighboring public lawyer played by Erika Alexander. Passionate about reading, she admires Thelonious Ellison’s work and eventually becomes Monk’s love interest. Another notable character is Monk’s estranged brother, Clifford “Cliff” Ellison, a plastic surgeon. Cliff’s family life crumbles after his wife discovers him cheating with a man.

The whole world’s falling apart. Might as well have some fun.

AMERICAN FICTION premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2023. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 22 December.