The Oscar-nominated comedy film was only just released in cinemas.
American Fiction, one of the 10 movies competing for Best Picture at this weekend’s Oscars, is now available to watch on Prime Video.
Released in Irish and UK cinemas just last month, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) stars as an African-American upper-class writer and professor who – fed up of Black stereotypes in popular US literature – writes an outlandish satirical novel based around such tropes titled ‘My Pafology’.
He is taken aback, however, when the book is mistaken by the liberal elite as serious literature and is published to both high sales and critical praise.
Based on the acclaimed novel Erasure by Percival Everett, American Fiction was the feature film debut of writer-director Cord Jefferson (Station Eleven, Watchmen).
Co-starring Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown and Tracee Ellis Ross, the movie was acclaimed by critics – 93% on Rotten Tomatoes – and earned five Oscar nominations – including Best Picture, Best Actor for Wright and Best Supporting Actor for Brown.
Praised for its great characters and performances, funny premise and thematic depth, you can read a sample of some of those positive reviews for American Fiction right here:
ABC News: “Cord Jefferson’s slashingly funny satire of Black literary stereotyping is one of the best and boldest American comedies in years with a dynamite performance by an Oscar-ready Jeffrey Wright. You won’t look at race on screen in the same way again.
Associated Press: “The film is immensely watchable, staged without flash or pretention, that relies on its sharp script and talented and charismatic actors to carry the audience through. Wright is particularly delightful at the center of it all.”
Detroit News: “Wright, so often a strong supporting player is magnetic in the lead role: commanding, flawed, vulnerable, relatable. American Fiction is his movie, and will likely (and deservedly) land him his first Oscar nomination.”
Movie Mom: “A biting satire of just about every aspect of American life, especially academia, publishing, and racism and a heartfelt story about family connections…It is provocative, funny, and searingly smart. In my opinion, it is the best film of the year.”
The Times (UK): “It’s by turns laugh-out-loud funny and quietly poignant while grounded by a deeply sympathetic turn, possibly his best yet, from Jeffrey Wright.”
American Fiction is streaming on Prime Video in the UK right now.
