American Fiction review: "Jeffrey Wright shines in the fiendishly smart comedy-drama"

GamesRadar+ VerdictJeffrey Wright hits a career high in a film that’s terrifically funny, beautifully written, thoughtful, and provocative. GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict Jeffrey Wright hits a career high in a film that’s terrifically funny, beautifully written, thoughtful, and provocative. Jeffrey Wright hits a career high in a film that’s terrifically funny, beautifully written, thoughtful, and provocative. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, which ruthlessly satirises the book industry, American Fiction is a wild ride. Writer/director Jefferson deftly mixes laughs with low-key drama, as Monk begins dating near-neighbour Coraline (Erika Alexander) while having to deal with issues surrounding his ailing mother (Leslie Uggams). With a third act that goes full-on meta – delivering one of the best pay-offs you’ll see all year – it’s hard not to swoon over a film this daring. Luckily, such missteps are few and far between. For the most part, this is tightly written, smartly performed, and frequently hilarious – notably in the scenes where Monk meets with Adam Brody’s ‘visionary’ Hollywood director, who is looking to craft an exploitation flick based on his book. And despite the slightly uneven pacing, Wright’s sturdy performance keeps things on an even keel. The result is a fiendishly sharp poke at questionable notions of Black representation in the modern world. American Fiction is in US theaters now and in UK cinemas from February 2. More info More More about american fictionJeffrey Wright reveals why his late mother was the first person he thanked after receiving his first-ever Oscar nominationJeffrey Wright breaks down in tears as he reacts to first ever Oscar nomination, and we feel like crying tooLatestI’m fed up of pretending The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge isn’t a Christmas game, and a hauntingly good one at thatSee more latest► More about american fictionJeffrey Wright reveals why his late mother was the first person he thanked after receiving his first-ever Oscar nominationJeffrey Wright breaks down in tears as he reacts to first ever Oscar nomination, and we feel like crying tooLatestI’m fed up of pretending The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge isn’t a Christmas game, and a hauntingly good one at thatSee more latest► More about american fictionJeffrey Wright reveals why his late mother was the first person he thanked after receiving his first-ever Oscar nominationJeffrey Wright breaks down in tears as he reacts to first ever Oscar nomination, and we feel like crying too More about american fiction Jeffrey Wright reveals why his late mother was the first person he thanked after receiving his first-ever Oscar nominationJeffrey Wright breaks down in tears as he reacts to first ever Oscar nomination, and we feel like crying too Jeffrey Wright reveals why his late mother was the first person he thanked after receiving his first-ever Oscar nomination Jeffrey Wright reveals why his late mother was the first person he thanked after receiving his first-ever Oscar nomination Jeffrey Wright breaks down in tears as he reacts to first ever Oscar nomination, and we feel like crying too Jeffrey Wright breaks down in tears as he reacts to first ever Oscar nomination, and we feel like crying too LatestI’m fed up of pretending The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge isn’t a Christmas game, and a hauntingly good one at thatSee more latest► Latest I’m fed up of 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