Jeffrey Wright really is one of our more consistent working actors, it’s high-time we get him the Oscar nomination he deserves.

“American Fiction” is based on the 2001 novel “Erasure,” and tells the story of an academic (Jeffrey Wright) who, frustrated with what passes for successful topical literature, writes an ironic and stereotypical novel about the black experience, only for it to become a major success. Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae, John Ortiz, Adam Brody, and Erika Alexander, as Cord Jefferson writes and makes his directorial debut.

It’s a hot button topic right now in Hollywood, if studios are making stories about minority voices out of a sense of guilt, pandering, or delayed duty. “American Fiction” tackles the topic with fairly sharp satire, and it’s good performances and some very funny dialogue make up for a few rookie director isms.

Jeffrey Wright has always shown he can be deceptively funny, whether it be in a Wes Anderson film or cameoing in something like “Game Night.” Here, he gets to flex some of his comedy muscles in a central role, and delivers some laugh out loud moments. He shares warm chemistry with Erika Alexander and Sterling K. Brown, and a nice buddy dynamic with John Ortiz.

I also really enjoyed Sterling K. Brown as Wright’s brother. He’s funny, but also almost sad as the gay brother not accepted by the pair’s parents. Ortiz has a few funny moments himself, and anytime Adam Brody shows up I won’t complain.

The film’s score is a sneaky MVP candidate, with a nice jazz undertone but also a few beats that play like a horror or thriller when the scene calls for it.

The script has some great comedic lines, with several moments that had my theater laughing so hard we likely missed the proceeding joke (and a few bits that only I and the woman next to me laughed at, but one of them I attest is the funniest joke of any movie this year). But while the dialogue is good, the structure is a tad sloppy. The social commentary and satire is pretty sharp too, commenting on how rich white book and movie executives are producing stereotypical black products under the label of “important” and “raw,” when in actuality it may just be in an attempt to absolve self-guilt or virtue signal. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk, and the film could’ve easily vilified white people as a whole, but I think it did it in a clever enough way that the only people who may take offense to the film, are the ones it’s poking fun at.

While the main plot focuses on Wright struggling with maintaining his pseudonym and accidental success of a book he wrote that he hates, there are a lot of B-plots that sometimes distract from the story and create some tonal and pacing issues. Wright’s mom has early onset Alzheimer’s, his housekeeper starts dating someone, Wright starts dating someone, Brown faces his own demons… it’s a lot crammed into a 117 minute film, and I do wish it was streamlined a bit better.

“American Fiction” has enough going for it (and it’s a fair amount) to overcome its overstuffed plot. Wright is great in the central role and hopefully he gets some awards recognition this season, the supporting players all have opportunities to shine, and most of the social satire lands. It’s a fun film with a little bit to say, and in an age of superheroes, streaming, and multiverses, a good old fashion adult dramedy may be just what the doctor ordered.

Critics Rating: 7/10