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The upcoming historical drama Nickel Boys is already receiving Oscars buzz following a successful premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in August and a Golden Globe nomination, leading to audience interest in watching the film once it arrives in theaters. Nickel Boys follows Elwood Curtis, played by Ethan Herisse, and Turner, played by Brandon Wilson, as they attempt to survive through their time at an abusive boys' school called Nickel Academy, and the film also features a great supporting cast with some recognizable faces.

Nickel Boys is based on the novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, already pointing the movie toward a positive reception. Furthermore, the book and movie did have real-life inspiration, making its meaning even deeper. The movie was filmed in 2022 in Louisiana, and, interestingly, Nickel Boys was shot from a first-person perspective. Luckily for curious audiences, the Amazon MGM...

It's worth starting this review by saying I have read the Colson Whitehead novel Nickel Boys is based on, and very recently. In fact, it was the rapturous festival reactions to the film, many of which emphasized it as an achievement of adaptation, that inspired me to seek out the book ahead of time. I'm glad I did – it's a wonderful book. Having read it, however, did shape my response to this movie.

Set in Jim Crow-era Florida, two Black teens, Elwood Curtis and Turner, endure the brutal conditions of Nickel Academy, a reformatory for boys. While Turner teaches survival through cynicism, Elwood clings to his belief in justice, despite the horrors around them. Their friendship offers a glimmer of hope amidst a backdrop of systemic racism and violence.

Director RaMell RossWriters Colson Whitehead, Joslyn Barnes, RaMell RossCast Mike Harkins, Najah Bradley, Ethan Cole Sharp, LeBaron Foster Thornton, Escalante Lundy,...

Nickel Boys isn't just a powerful movie about important and relevant themes. It's also an audacious burst of brilliance that uses some of cinema's unique and immersive capabilities to create a lasting experience. This is a movie everyone needs to see. The movie is adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, which itself is based on the true stories of the Dozier School in Florida, known for 111 years of abusing and murdering its students.

However, before any of that becomes part of the story unfolding on the screen, first-time narrative feature director RaMell Ross (Oscar-nominated for his documentary work) has already gripped audiences with lyrical and evocative filmmaking. From the moment the movie begins, the audience embodies the first-person perspective of a young Black boy living in the Jim Crow South. All exposition is handled as we experience the world around him. The cinematography and sound design are main characters from the rip,...