# American Fiction (film)

American Fiction is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, it follows a frustrated African-American novelist-professor who writes an outlandish satire of stereotypical "Black" books, only for it to be mistaken for serious literature and published to high sales and critical praise. The film stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody and Keith David.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, where it won the People's Choice Award. It received a limited theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios on December 15, 2023, with an expansion on December 22, 2023.
The film grossed $23 million and received numerous accolades. It was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute. It also received five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Wright, with Jefferson winning Best Adapted Screenplay.

## Plot

Thelonious "Monk" Ellison is a well read African-American upper-class writer and professor in Los Angeles. While his novels receive academic praise, they sell poorly, and publishers reject his latest manuscript for not being "Black enough". His university places him on temporary leave due to his brashness with students over racial issues, and suggests he attend a literary seminar and spend time with family in his hometown of Boston. At the seminar, his panel is poorly attended, in contrast to a packed room for an interview with Sintara Golden, whose bestselling novel We's Lives in Da Ghetto panders to Black stereotypes.
In Boston, Monk has dinner with his mother Agnes, who has Alzheimer's disease, and sister Lisa, a physician. Later, while having drinks with Monk, Lisa suffers a fatal heart attack. Their estranged brother, Cliff, a plastic surgeon, attends Lisa's funeral. Cliff is divorced after his wife caught him having sex with a man; he now engages in frequent drug use and casual sex. Monk meets and starts dating Coraline, a lawyer living across the street from his mother's beach house.
Frustrated by Sintara's success and the costs of care for his mother, Monk writes My Pafology, a satirical novel mocking the literary stereotypes expected from Black writers: melodramatic plots, deadbeat dads, gang violence, and drugs. After submitting it to publishers out of contempt, he is shocked to be offered a $750,000 advance, and his agent Arthur convinces him to adopt the persona of convict on the run "Stagg R. Leigh". As "Stagg", Monk is offered a movie deal from a producer, Wiley. In response to insulting comments by publishing executives, Monk tries to sabotage the deal by demanding the title be changed to Fuck; the executives agree. Monk is invited to help judge the New England Book Association's Literary Award as part of a "diversity push", and he reluctantly accepts. A fellow judge is Sintara, and Monk learns that she shares many of his views.
Agnes moves into an expensive assisted-living facility, but adapts poorly. Cliff briefly returns to Boston, but leaves after Agnes makes a homophobic remark. Fuck becomes a bestseller. Coraline, Cliff, and the public remain unaware that "Stagg" is Monk, and the FBI contacts the publisher, believing Stagg is a fugitive, as he claimed in interviews.
Monk's publisher submits Fuck for the Literary Award, forcing him to judge his own novel. Monk learns that Coraline enjoyed reading Fuck; they argue and break up. The panel's white judges rave over Fuck, though Sintara calls it "pandering". Monk agrees, but later argues that Sintara's book is "trauma porn" and inauthentic to her African-American middle-class background. Sintara argues that she researched her book by interviewing voiceless people, was "giving the market what it wants", and that it is not her fault if white readers formed stereotypes from her book.
On family housekeeper Lorraine's wedding day, Monk finds Cliff living in Agnes's beach house with two other men, but Lorraine is happy to have him attend the wedding. At the reception, Monk and Cliff discuss the impact of their father's suicide, and Cliff encourages Monk to let people "love all of him".
At the awards ceremony, Fuck is announced as the winner. Monk goes onstage and says he has a confession to make. The film cuts to black, and the events shown are revealed to have been Monk's screenplay based on his experiences, written for Wiley's production company as an alternative to the Fuck film adaptation. Monk has not revealed his identity to the public and is still separated from Coraline. Wiley likes the screenplay but asks Monk to change the ambiguous ending.
Monk proposes an ending with him running away from the ceremony to apologize to Coraline, but Wiley says it feels too much like a romantic comedy. Monk then suggests one where police, believing Monk to be a wanted criminal holding a gun, fatally shoot him at the ceremony. Much to Monk's dismay, Wiley, who is also filming a blaxploitation film called Plantation Annihilation, loves it, and the film moves into production. Monk drives away with Cliff after he and one of Wiley's actors, playing a slave, acknowledge each other.

## Cast

* Top row: (left to right) Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz and Erika Alexander
* Bottom row: (left to right) Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown and Adam Brody
* Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, a writer and professor of literature, as well as brother to Lisa and Cliff. Monk has mild success as a writer until he satirically writes Fuck under the alias “Stagg R. Leigh.”
* Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Lisa Ellison, a divorced medical doctor and sister to Monk and Cliff
* Issa Rae as Sintara Golden, a black author who has achieved popularity for her new book, We’s Lives In Da Ghetto
* Sterling K. Brown as Dr. Clifford "Cliff" Ellison, a plastic surgeon and brother to Monk and Lisa, who is recently uncloseted as a homosexual
* John Ortiz as Arthur, Monk’s agent
* Erika Alexander as Coraline, a public defender who is Agnes’s neighbor and Monk’s eventual girlfriend
* Leslie Uggams as Agnes Ellison, mother to Monk, Lisa, and Cliff, who begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s
* Adam Brody as Wiley Valdespino, a movie producer interested in Fuck
* Keith David as Willy the Wonker, an imaginary character that Monk uses to visualize his dialogue for Fuck
* Okieriete Onaodowan as Van Go Jenkins, an imaginary character that Monk uses to visualize his dialogue for Fuck
* Myra Lucretia Taylor as Lorraine, family friend and caretaker for the Ellisons
* Raymond Anthony Thomas as Maynard, a security guard who strikes up a romance with Lorraine
* Miriam Shor as Paula Baderman
* Michael Cyril Creighton as John Bosco
* Patrick Fischler as Mandel
* Neal Lerner as Wilson Harnet
* J. C. MacKenzie as Carl Brunt
* Jenn Harris as Aileen Hoover
* Bates Wilder as Jon Daniel Sigmarsen
* Ryan Richard Doyle as Ned
* Skyler Wright as Brittany

## Production

In November 2022, Jeffrey Wright was cast in the untitled film, based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Cord Jefferson would adapt the novel, with the film being his directorial debut. T-Street Productions and MRC Film produced the film. In December 2022, Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Sterling K. Brown, Myra Lucretia Taylor, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, and Adam Brody joined the cast. The film wrapped production in Boston in early December, with COVID-19 safety precautions used on set. That month, MGM's Orion Pictures acquired the film's worldwide distribution rights. As a first-time filmmaker, Jefferson said he was such a fan of Wright's that he was nervous to give him feedback; it was producer Nikos Karamigios who, on the first day of shooting, encouraged him to be more assertive as a director. The film was shot in twenty-six days, with most scenes being completed with minimal takes (3–4). In July 2023, with the announcement of its world premiere, the film's title was reported to be American Fiction. It is the first film from Orion to be distributed through Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, following Amazon's acquisition of MGM the year before, which also resulted in the 2021 MGM logo being added to the beginning of the film.

## Release

On September 8, 2023, American Fiction premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award. This was followed by a run in the festival circuit, culminating in its United States premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles on December 5, 2023. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 15, 2023, with an expansion the following week (December 22, 2023). The film's release date had initially been set for November 3, 2023, before being changed to the later date. The film was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Curzon Film on February 2, 2024.
The film was released for digital platforms on February 6, 2024.

## Reception
### Box office

American Fiction grossed $21.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.9 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $23 million.
The film made $229,000 from seven theaters in its opening weekend, a per-venue average of $32,400. Following its five Oscar nominations, the film expanded from 852 theaters to 1,702 in its 7th week of release and made $2.9 million, an increase of 65% from the previous weekend, and a running total of $11.8 million. The following weekend it made $2.4 million.

### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 285 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Jeffrey Wright and American Fiction will forever be inextricable thanks to the actor's committed approach to the pointedly humorous and insightful material." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 90% positive score, with 83% saying they would definitely recommend it.
In her review for The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarke wrote that "American Fiction is smart and, thanks to its fine cast, has genuine heart", commending Wright's "subtle physicality … that contributes depth to his character", as well as "Uggams' increasingly somber performance as Agnes and Brown's delightful comedic turn". Peter Debruge for Variety, applauded Jefferson's writing prowess, likening him to Flannery O'Connor and Toni Morrison, whose works were both referenced in the film. To Debruge, Jefferson "trusts his audience to bring themselves to the material", which is "what makes reading "American Fiction" so rewarding." Peyton Robinson writing for RogerEbert.com highlighted Jefferson's writing as the key takeaway from this film, stating that his "attentive lens" to the film's "concept and themes is what will be remembered". Robinson goes on to identify the distinguishable legacy within the script, emphasizing Jefferson's "sharply pointed finger at the many institutional factors that keep [Black art], and its creators, restrained."
Sarah Lyall of The New York Times covered Jeffrey Wright in a feature about his career and his role in American Fiction, claiming that Wright's "exquisitely calibrated" performance demonstrates "[Wright's] ability to elevate any movie or TV show simply by appearing in it." Lyall goes on to celebrate that Wright "has a way of burrowing so deeply into his characters that he seems almost to be hiding in plain sight." Stephanie Zacharek at Time magazine also highlighted the lead star's performance, admiring that "Wright brings it all to life". Zacharek notes that Wright does so "not with thunderous, statement-making gestures, but with small ones that remind us how vulnerable Monk is", even amidst the protagonist's "own raging intelligence".
Filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood praised writer-director Cord Jefferson, stating that an artist's first work should tell the world who they are and Jefferson "has screamed into a bullhorn. Bold, chaotic, unflinching, personal. Cord has channeled his creative truths into a searing indictment of biased norms." Other filmmakers, including Rachel Morrison and Paul Schrader, also praised the film.

### Accolades

The American Film Institute placed American Fiction as one of its top 10 films of 2023, praising Jefferson's writing as "the arrival of a powerful voice in American film", Wright's "triumphant" performance, and the ensemble cast.
| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Toronto International Film Festival | September 17, 2023 | People's Choice Award | American Fiction | Won | |
| Heartland International Film Festival | October 15, 2023 | Humor & Humanity Award | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 16, 2023 | U.S. Cinema | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 16, 2023 | Breakthrough Directing | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| San Diego International Film Festival | October 21, 2023 | Best Gala Film | American Fiction | Won | |
| Middleburg Film Festival | October 22, 2023 | Audience Award for Narrative Film | American Fiction | Won | |
| Celebration of Cinema & Television | December 4, 2023 | Visionary Award | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| Windsor International Film Festival | October 29, 2023 | LIUNA People's Choice Award | American Fiction | Runner-up | |
| Virginia Film Festival | October 29, 2023 | Programmers' Award – Narrative Feature | American Fiction | Won | |
| Virginia Film Festival | October 29, 2023 | Breakthrough Director Award | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Savannah Film Festival | November 2, 2023 | Audience Award | American Fiction | Runner-up | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Original Score — Feature Film | Laura Karpman | Nominated | |
| Gotham Independent Film Awards | November 27, 2023 | Outstanding Lead Performance | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| American Film Institute Awards | December 7, 2023 | Top 10 Films of the Year | American Fiction | Won | [42] [31] |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Feature | American Fiction | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Ensemble | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Leading Performance | Jeffrey Wright | Runner-up | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best New Filmmaker | Cord Jefferson | Runner-up | |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | December 11, 2023 | Best Performance | Jeffrey Wright | 9th Place | |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | December 11, 2023 | Best Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | 5th Place | |
| IndieWire Critics Poll | December 11, 2023 | Best First Feature | American Fiction | 4th Place | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2023 | Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 15, 2023 | Top 10 Films | American Fiction | Won | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | December 13, 2023 | Best Comedy | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | December 13, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | December 13, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | December 13, 2023 | Breakout Filmmaker | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Film | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Comedy Film | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | runner-up | |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Film | American Fiction | Longlisted | [51] [52] |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Lead Performance | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | [51] [52] |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 17, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | [51] [52] |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 17, 2023 | Breakout of the Year | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | [51] [52] |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | December 17, 2023 | Best First Feature | American Fiction | Runner-up | |
| Southeastern Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Top 10 Films | American Fiction | 7th Place | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Top 10 Films of the Year | American Fiction | 5th Place | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | 4th Place | |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | December 18, 2023 | Top Ten Films of 2023 | American Fiction | Won | |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Best Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Best Director | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | December 18, 2023 | Best Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 19, 2023 | Best Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 19, 2023 | Best Director | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 19, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 19, 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 19, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson and Percival Everett | Runner-up | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 19, 2023 | Best First Feature | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Black Film Critics Circle | December 20, 2023 | Top Ten Films | American Fiction | 1st Place | |
| Black Film Critics Circle | December 20, 2023 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| Black Film Critics Circle | December 20, 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Won | |
| Black Film Critics Circle | December 20, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Black Film Critics Circle | December 20, 2023 | Best Ensemble | American Fiction | Won | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 21, 2023 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 21, 2023 | Best First Film | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle | January 3, 2024 | Top 10 Films | American Fiction | 10th Place | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 4, 2024 | Best Film | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 4, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 4, 2024 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 4, 2024 | Best Screenplay, Adapted | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 4, 2024 | Best Ensemble Cast – Casting Director | Jennifer Euston | Won | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 5, 2024 | Best Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | [63] [64] |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 5, 2024 | Best Director | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | [63] [64] |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 5, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Runner-up | [63] [64] |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 5, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | [63] [64] |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 5, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Runner-up | [63] [64] |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 5, 2024 | Best Ensemble | American Fiction | Nominated | [63] [64] |
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | January 6, 2024 | Best Lead Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | January 6, 2024 | Breakthrough Director | Cord Jefferson | Nominated |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best Director | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best First Feature | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards | February 26, 2024 | Best Casting | Jennifer Euston | Nominated | |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | January 6, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Runner-up | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 7, 2024 | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 7, 2024 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Picture of the Year | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards | January 9, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards | January 9, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards | January 9, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2024 | Best Film | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2024 | Best First Film | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Denver Film Critics Society | January 12, 2024 | Best Lead Performance by an Actor, Male | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Denver Film Critics Society | January 12, 2024 | Best Comedy | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Denver Film Critics Society | January 12, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 14, 2024 | Best Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 14, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 14, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 14, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 14, 2024 | Best Comedy | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| African-American Film Critics Association | January 15, 2024 | Top 10 Films of the Year | American Fiction | 1st Place | |
| African-American Film Critics Association | January 15, 2024 | Best Comedy | American Fiction | Won | |
| African-American Film Critics Association | January 15, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Won | |
| African-American Film Critics Association | January 15, 2024 | Best Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| African-American Film Critics Association | January 15, 2024 | Emerging Filmmaker | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Film | Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios [de], Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Director | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Lead Performance | Jeffery Wright | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Performance | Erika Alexander | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Performance | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Ensemble | Jennifer Euston | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Emerging Director | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding First Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 22, 2024 | Best Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | [76] [77] |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 22, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | [76] [77] |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 22, 2024 | Best Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | [76] [77] |
| AACTA International Awards | February 10, 2024 | Best Film | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| AACTA International Awards | February 10, 2024 | Best Lead Actor in Film | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| AACTA International Awards | February 10, 2024 | Best Screenplay in Film | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | February 10, 2024 | Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film | Cord Jefferson | Nominated | |
| Set Decorators Society of America Awards | February 13, 2024 | Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film | Kyra Friedman Curcio and Jonathan Guggenheim | Nominated | |
| Society of Composers & Lyricists | February 13, 2024 | Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film | Laura Karpman | Nominated | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 18, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Satellite Awards | February 18, 2024 | Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | February 18, 2024 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | February 18, 2024 | Best Screenplay, Adapted | Cord Jefferson and Percival Everett | Won | |
| Satellite Awards | February 18, 2024 | Best Original Score | Laura Karpman | Won | |
| Cinema for Peace Awards | February 18–19, 2024 | Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Film of the Year 2024 | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | February 21, 2024 | Excellence in Contemporary Film | Rudy Mance | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 24, 2024 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Erika Alexander, Adam Brody, Sterling K. Brown, Keith David, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, and Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 24, 2024 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 24, 2024 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | February 25, 2024 | Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best Film | Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, and Ben LeClair | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best Supporting Performance | Erika Alexander | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best Supporting Performance | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 25, 2024 | Best Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| USC Scripter Awards | March 2, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay – Film | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| American Cinema Editors | March 3, 2024 | Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy, Theatrical) | Hilda Rasula | Nominated | |
| Artios Awards | March 7, 2024 | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Feature Studio or Independent (Drama) | Jennifer Euston, Lisa Lobel, Angela Peri, and Melissa Morris | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 10, 2024 | Best Picture | Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 10, 2024 | Best Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 10, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 10, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Academy Awards | March 10, 2024 | Best Original Score | Laura Karpman | Nominated | |
| GLAAD Media Awards | March 14, 2024 | Outstanding Film – Wide Release | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Motion Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Sterling K. Brown | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Erika Alexander | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | American Fiction | Nominated | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | April 14, 2024 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | April 14, 2024 | Paul Selvin Award | Cord Jefferson | Won | |
| Grammy Awards | February 2, 2025 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Laura Karpman | Nominated | |