Nickel Boys
Directed by RaMell RossA powerful friendship develops between two young Black men as they navigate the harrowing trials of reform school together.
Cast of Nickel Boys
Nickel Boys Ratings & Reviews
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025Nickel Boys, adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, takes a bold stylistic leap, presenting its narrative almost entirely through the first-person point of view of Elwood Curtis. This impressionistic approach creates a deeply immersive and emotionally charged experience, forging an unshakable empathy for its protagonist as he navigates the injustices of Jim Crow-era America. The fragmented storytelling offers glimpses of Elwood’s life, as if we are piecing together the shards of his memory—each cut a wound, each fragment a painful truth. Elwood accepts a ride from a stranger, a choice that irrevocably alters his life. From the passenger seat, the camera lingers on his lap, his hands clutching a schoolbook, and his gaze nervously fixed downward as the car is pulled over. The man’s voice—assuring Elwood to let him handle it.—We are in his grandmother’s home, her voice full of conviction as she defends his innocence to someone just out of sight. The camera stays on Elwood’s arm, draped over the backrest of the couch, as if he is retreating into himself—We are in the back seat of a police car as the officer casually demeans him, introducing him to the two white boys seated beside him as a “real-life car thief.” The camera doesn’t flinch, keeping us locked in Elwood’s perspective as the vehicle pulls up to the Nickel Academy, a Florida reform school where Elwood is sentenced to serve his so-called community service. The academy’s segregated quarters, oppressive rules, and pervasive violence are revealed in bits and pieces, leaving viewers to feel Elwood’s confusion and dread as he processes the brutal reality of his new existence. I was kind of floored by RaMell Ross’s cinematic choice, placing us so firmly in Elwood’s shoe. through Jomo Fray’s captivating cinematography, we see the world as Elwood does, his experiences shaping our understanding of his plight, eschewing exposition in favor of sensation. A profoundly moving film. Potential recency bias, but I have a hard time imagining RaMell Ross not getting nominated for a best director Oscar. Highly, highly recommend.
- arcanus99February 1, 2025I have never had a movie make me angry for showing me a perspective that maddingly obscured what is clearly a powerful and touching story that is important and needs to be told. The POV perspective is so over used it becomes difficult to not be annoyed. Having to listen to people talk in muffled voices outside of the cameras view is not a story telling tool it is something that is just annoying when you use it repeatedly. I feel like the positive reviews for this movie are akin to when art galleries are in awe of a banana duct-taped to a wall. What a poorly missed opportunity to tell a story that really deserves to be told and is obscured by someone trying to impress people whose tastes are outlandishly self-inflated.
- Mike JayjockMarch 24, 2025Powerful portrayal of how we treated black children in the South. Some might call it woke. I called history.
- Tyler SMarch 2, 2025👍👍 9/10
- rg9400February 25, 2025Nickel Boys honestly feels like something wholly novel, something I cannot find any touchstone to compare to. The movie is filmed from the perspective of two African American teenagers who are in a reform school during the Jim Crow era. And when I mean from the perspective of, I mean the movie is told from a first-person POV, where the camera acts as the literal embodiment of each character. When characters look down at their feet, the camera itself moves down. Turn their heads, the camera moves. This isn't the first time I've seen the first-person POV attempted. Action movies like Hardcore Henry have tried it before, but this is different. It is not a kinetic movie, it's a movie entirely driven by a subjective emotional experience. In between these scenes, the director meshes together real-life archival footage as interstitials, serving as connective tissue. The goal is to literally put you into the lives of these youth while also serving as a way to explore identity as the rest of the movie unravels. I have to admire the audacity of it. However, I really struggled watching it. The POV changes the way people perform, both the main characters as well as those in front of them. There's a degree of uncanniness to it all that didn't resonate with me. Similarly, the archival footage prevented me from getting immersed in the story, constantly feeling like it interrupted the story as it gained a rhythm. When the dust settled and I thought about the story, I do think it's a powerful story. Because of that and the unique way it is told, I do think the movie is noteworthy. It's just unfortunately not for me.
- cultfilmlikerFebruary 24, 2025Two films in a row intended to make you personally empathize with a group of persecuted people that are often thought of in a homogenous macro / historical capacity ie specific personal (often overlooked) stories / reflections of “recent” acts of institutional oppression and genocide. And then there’s The Brutalist! Incredible sound design and inventive direction although I didn’t always understand what it was trying to say. That’s on me tho. Might have to rewatch
- Eldon McGuinnessFebruary 23, 2025While this movie is based on real events, the reality is far worse than is depicted here. This is a thought-provoking story of a horrible place that only closed in 2011 and was open for more than a century. Elwood and Turner have such a great relationship where both of them are teachers and students, in their own way, to each other. The film does a great job of delivering an accounting of just how horrible these schools in Florida were in a way that does not need the grotesque and gore that those who experienced it would have endured. The method of storytelling is beautifully done, switching the narrative between the two boys, as it almost gives you the feeling of being a party to their experiences.
- dannyol43February 21, 2025This was intense, but I'd recommend it to anyone. One of those films that helps you see life through someone else's eyes, and in this case literally someone else's perspective. Can't wait to see what RaMell Ross does next, and can't believe this didn't get a cinematography nomination.
- Rowan KrzysiakFebruary 20, 2025I found this to be a real slog. I also thought the 'Peep Show' stylised shooting of the whole thing pretty tiring to the point that it detracted from the experience. Overall it was boring and not worth the time.
- Alex | Pop Culture BrainFebruary 17, 2025Harrowing, thoughtful, bold and creative filmmaking.
- RyezooFebruary 4, 2025Bad day at the movies for me seeing this right after brutalist disappointing me. Plus I drove 2 hours for these two films…. The point of view feels like a gimmick and to me cheapens the experience. This had potential for much more of an impact if it was told traditionally. I like seeing actors faces when giving dialogue. I know I’m in the minority here for this film. This story is very fucked up, but the weight of it didn’t hit emotionally for me.
