Glitter Magazine | Review: The new film “American Fantasy” flips the script in Hollywood

Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut american fantasy, Stars Jeffrey Wright (Astroid City, Rustin), Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. brown (this is us), and more, pulls the rug out on racial bias in Hollywood.

The film was written and directed by Cord Jefferson. American fantasy He sheds light on the industry’s racially biased treatment of black writers and creators with his first dramatic comedy. Wright plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a struggling but talented writer who can’t catch the attention of publishers until he decides to write a parody of black culture from a criminal mindset, which immediately surprises him with a slew of offers. And praise.

American fantasy It is a multifaceted and layered story of a middle/upper class educated black family with all the bells and whistles that any family can relate to. Monk’s character has a sister (Tracee Ellis Ross as Lisa) who died unexpectedly, a mother (Leslie Uggams as Agnes) who suffers from dementia and is desperate for her to earn money to care for her, and a brother portrayed by Sterling K. Brown (Clifford Ellison). ), who is gay, but lives in the closet, unable to come out to his mother before her mind deteriorates. The Monk family must find a way to heal from their trauma and unite in acceptance, family unity, and self-love.

Monk also has a love interest. Erica Alexander plays Coraline, an attorney who lives across the street from the family beach house where Monk took his mother to devote herself to her care. The pair meet each other and begin a whirlwind romance, but they are full of complications as the monk lives a lie; He uses a pseudonym in his newly published book and is confused about how the world, including Coraline, will like his new work.

Throughout the film, Monk must find a way to navigate his new fame and hilariously assume his new persona, the Ghost. But how far does he need to go before he explodes emotionally? Based on the novel Erase By Percival Everett The film is elegantly shot with a gorgeous score by the talented five-time Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman, which references Thelonious Monk, the real-life jazz musician.

It’s very easy for someone who doesn’t know much or hasn’t taken the time to understand racial bias in Hollywood, to laugh through this dark comedy and pass it right over their head. Fortunately for us, Jefferson wrote this script in such a way that even the most obtuse viewer can escape its basic message, which is that black people are not a monolith.

luster I was able to ask Cord a question about this message at one of the film’s press conferences, where I asked him,

“So, you mentioned your comments about the respectability politics of this. But how was this written and acted when you kind of craft the script to make sure that non-Black audiences and critics, I think, didn’t walk away from the wrong themes of this as much as, you, AAVE, and this idea Of putting certain parts of the black experience above and below? Just the stereotypical aspects of certain things in the film. You had to be very careful, so that even if people didn’t pay attention to what you were trying to say, they would still understand it. How did you ensure that for an outside audience while you were doing the project?

-Nicky Fowler

“So, again, I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say there’s a scene in the movie that’s particularly important to me where Jeffrey Wright’s character, Monk, confronts Issa Rae’s character, Sentara. And they have kind of a conversation about black art and kind of the ideology behind Their artwork. And what they kind of focus on, what they think is important to tell. What they think is important for black artists to say. And for me, again, I don’t want to give away that, but I think that’s what we’re hoping for. So, I think this is it
Great question, and it’s something I shouldn’t give away, but Nikki, in particular, if you haven’t seen the movie, I would say, look for the scene where Geoffrey is talking, where Monk is talking to the centaur. Because I think that, for me, when I talked to Jeffrey about the politics of respectability and pulling pants and the talent thing, we kind of focused on that particular scene and we nailed that scene. Because for me, that scene is the backbone of this. And I think we made an effort to make sure that no one gets the idea that there’s a right way to be black and there’s a wrong way to be black. And sort of, there’s an appropriate way to tell the black story and an inappropriate way to tell the black story. I think for me I put a lot of effort into ensuring that. And so, I hope, once again, I’m sorry to talk about this topic by not revealing exactly what I’m talking about. But I hope you see what I’m talking about when you watch the movie and you encounter this scene that I’m discussing because I don’t think I knew it was so important to Jeffrey, to me, and to everyone else’s work.”

-Cord Jefferson

The entertainment industry, especially Hollywood, has long struggled with issues of racial bias and stereotyping, with black writers facing ongoing challenges in breaking through systemic barriers. Despite increasing progress, the industry continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and pigeonhole Black writers into limited, often one-dimensional roles. Historically, Black characters have been marginalized, reduced to tropes such as the rude sidekick, the criminal, or the token sidekick, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that oversimplify and distort diverse experiences within the Black community.

Racial bias is also evident in the limited opportunities available to black writers, who struggle to see their stories portrayed authentically on screen. Hollywood’s tendency to overlook nuanced narratives written by Black creators perpetuates a cycle of underrepresentation, hindering the industry’s ability to accurately reflect the complexity of Black experiences. The lack of diverse perspectives behind the scenes exacerbates the problem, as decision makers often fail to appreciate the cultural richness and depth that Black writers can bring to storytelling.

Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort from the industry to dismantle systemic biases, promote inclusivity, and provide platforms for Black writers to showcase their talents and tell their stories authentically. The ongoing dialogue around diversity and inclusion in Hollywood must lead to tangible changes in hiring practices, story development, and inclusive representation to create a more equitable and just entertainment landscape.

American fantasy It has had an overall positive impact on Hollywood through a slew of amazing performances, and hopefully the messages and themes will translate off screen as they did on screen throughout the entertainment industry.

Watch the trailer below and find out how to watch it here.