Director RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) transforms Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys into a bold and deeply affecting cinematic experience. With a gripping narrative centered on systemic racism, friendship, and survival, the film dives into the harrowing realities of the fictional Nickel Academy, a Jim Crow-era reform school modeled after Florida’s notorious Dozier School for Boys.
Ethan Herisse stars as Elwood Curtis, a bright, idealistic teenager whose dreams of attending college are shattered after he is wrongfully arrested for hitching a ride in a stolen car. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor delivers a heart-wrenching performance as Elwood’s grandmother, Hattie, a loving yet pragmatic woman who has fought her own battles against systemic racism. Her nuanced portrayal anchors Elwood’s story with warmth and generational resilience, making her one of the film’s emotional pillars.
Upon arriving at Nickel Academy, Elwood encounters Turner, played with raw intensity by Brandon Wilson. Turner’s cynicism and pragmatism serve as a counterpoint to Elwood’s hopeful idealism. The dynamic between the two boys, rooted in both mutual survival and personal growth, forms the emotional core of the film. As they navigate the dehumanizing brutality of Nickel, the film explores their contrasting approaches to hope and resistance, creating a layered portrait of perseverance in the face of overwhelming injustice.
Ross takes an audacious creative risk by presenting much of the story through the literal perspectives of Elwood and Turner. The audience sees the world as they do, experiencing their joys, fears, and traumas firsthand. This immersive technique, paired with the intimate cinematography by Jomo Fray, heightens the emotional stakes, making every small victory and devastating setback deeply personal.
The film opens with a series of tender, lyrical vignettes from Elwood’s childhood: his grandmother decorating a Christmas tree, the scrape of her iron, and a playful afternoon in the park. These moments of serenity are sharply contrasted with the stark realities of segregated Florida, where racial inequities pervade every facet of life. As Elwood’s journey unfolds, flash-forwards featuring Daveed Diggs as an investigator in the 1980s connect the boys’ personal stories to broader historical reckonings.
Ross and co-writer Joslyn Barnes incorporate archival footage and cultural references, including clips from The Defiant Ones and newsreels on pseudoscientific racial theories, to contextualize Nickel within the larger framework of systemic racism. The film’s refusal to sensationalize its horrors—such as the beatings in “The White House,” Nickel’s torture chamber—renders them all the more haunting. A series of black-and-white photographs of anguished faces stands in for explicit violence, emphasizing the indelible scars such atrocities leave behind.
Ellis-Taylor’s portrayal of Hattie is a standout, her character embodying both the sacrifices and the quiet strength of Black women holding families together in oppressive circumstances. Her tender moments with Elwood, particularly as she encourages his ambitions while quietly fearing for his safety, underscore the emotional stakes of his descent into Nickel’s hellish environment.
The performances by Herisse and Wilson are equally captivating. Herisse captures Elwood’s quiet dignity and unyielding hope, while Wilson’s Turner provides a raw, biting counterpoint with his guarded yet vulnerable pragmatism. Their evolving friendship becomes a powerful lens through which the audience explores themes of trust, survival, and resilience.
Nickel Boys is not a conventional historical drama; it is a visceral and inventive work of art that demands active engagement from its viewers. By rooting the story in Elwood and Turner’s perspectives, Ross not only immerses us in their experiences but also challenges us to confront the enduring legacies of racial injustice.
The film crescendos to a devastating conclusion that leaves no emotional reserve untouched. It asks not for easy resolutions but for reflection and remembrance. With its breathtaking cinematography, layered performances, and daring storytelling, Nickel Boys transcends adaptation to become a radical and vital piece of cinema. It is a film that will stay with you, as much a call to action as it is a masterwork of empathy.