American Fiction

Film critiquing the publishing industry about the types of stories that are published about black Americans, primarily for white audiences. It’s half a satire of white cultural dominance and half a family drama.

The main character is a misanthrope, a bit like the main character of The-Holdovers, aloof from society and family.

The obvious comparison is Yellowface-R-F-Kuang, which also critiques the publishing industry for racism. This film is richer and more nuanced though, sadder and more melancholy. Life does not fit into the stereotypical stories told, and is more complex and less conclusive than fiction.

The film ends with a critique of itself similar to Adaptation, flattening the complex story into a simplistic and overwrought ending that the producer within the film praises as ‘real.’