American Fiction

2023
R
1h 57m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

103K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:22

Dark Comedy High-Concept Comedy Satire Comedy Drama

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 di... Read allA 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.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.

Director
- Cord Jefferson
Writers
- Cord Jefferson
- Percival Everett
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

103K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,384

354

Director
- Cord Jefferson
Writers
- Cord Jefferson
- Percival Everett
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 63 wins & 171 nominations total

Videos19

American Fiction - Official Trailer

Clip 2:04

Best Moments From the 2024 Oscars

Clip 1:42

Oscars 2024 Best Picture Nominees

Photos123

+ 117

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
In a 2023 interview with Esquire, Cord Jefferson explained his approach to a key scene in the film and how the actors elevated it in unexpected ways: "We've all seen that scene of the writer pounding the keyboard frantically, then taking a big sip of coffee and getting back to it. That's how you depict somebody intensely writing. But I thought, 'We can't have that. It's tropey and silly, and it doesn't get the audience's minds going.' So why not have these characters manifest in front of him? When I wrote that scene, I wrote the language to be very silly. It had to be ridiculous so that everybody could see how stupid this book is and what a sham it is. Then we got Keith David and Okieriete Onaodowan, who are both such tremendous actors. All of the sudden, it wasn't silly anymore. They made it seem like the book might be good. I love what the scene became in their hands: suddenly you're questioning whether or not the book is good, which is evidence that something as ridiculous as this book could become a hit."

Goofs
At the movie's beginning, Monk walks out of a building while being on the phone and holding a coffee cup with a vertical print of Dunkin Donuts, and with a lid on it. Seconds later, when he gets into a car, the logo on the cup is horizontally printed and it has no lid, while he is still holding the phone to his head with the other hand.

Quotes
Sintara Golden: Potential is what people see when they think what's in front of them isn't good enough.

Connections
Featured in 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards (2024)

Soundtracks
Without You
Written by Aubrey Johnson
Performed by Ace Spectrum
Published by Ace Spec Music
Courtesy of Mojo Music and Media

User reviews342

Review

Featured review

9/10

Unexpected treat

I had not heard of this movie before the lead-up to the Oscars, and I thought that it sounded like an intellectual endeavour that would be important to watch. What I didn't expect was that it would be so much fun - hilarious, in fact!

Jeffrey Wright was spot-on in his depiction of a frustrated academic getting in trouble with his liberal white colleagues and students for being blunt when talking about race. Outside of his job, he's generally grumpy with everything and everyone. But in watching what he has to deal with, we really can't blame him: modern America expects everyone to be ambitious and better themselves, but when Monk does this, he feels like a fish out of water and only gains fans when he pretends to be a "poor boy from the hood".

This movie addresses a lot of issues, covering homophobia, infidelity and grief, as well as racism, but it does so with a light touch. By focusing on characters and entertainment, it enlightens viewers without ever feeling like a lecture.