Nickel Boys
Directed by RaMell Ross
Written by RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, Colson Whitehead
Starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Rated PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Now playing in theaters

by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport

“Imagine a textbook with nothing to cross out.”

One of my favorite aspects about watching motion pictures is the opportunity they give me to visit someone else’s world. Through the power of cinema one can travel to faraway lands, visit another time, and meet people unlike ourselves. For the specified runtime, I am a traveler on a journey that provides not only the chance to expand my view but to be exposed to someone or something that is different than me. Nickel Boys provides not only a window to new perspectives, but does so in one of the most unique ways possible, making it a film that is undeniably a must-see.

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name penned by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys is a story about the friendship of two African-American teenagers who’s lives become intertwined after meeting at a reform school in Florida. (I picked up the novel at my local library immediately after seeing the film and highly recommend reading it. It is one of my favorite reads of 2024.) The performances within the movie are enough to deem RaMell Ross’s Nickel Boys a masterpiece, although, it is the cinematography that more than likely will be the cinematic feat it is known for. The choice to shoot the film from the perspective of each of the boys was an ambitious and gutsy move that ultimately pays off. Unlike in a Barry Jenkins helmed flick (Moonlight or If Beale Street Could Talk) that makes use of close-ups to unquestionably understand what the character is thinking or perceiving, Nickel Boys puts that responsibility on the cinema goer. Requesting that they do more than just observe. There is a possibility that some viewers may find this choice off-putting, making the narrative hard to digest. I believe this is exactly the point. As a watcher, being placed in the viewpoint of the character, I was forced to imagine their reactions and feelings as I experienced the story. This method of camera work places us in the shoes of the person and has us not only ponder what the character is going through but gives a sense of uncomfortability. Rather than passively watching, we are now an active participant in this tale.

The characters of Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson) are both exquisitely portrayed but it is Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Hattie that steals the show. Ellis-Taylor, who gave a tremendous performance in King Richard, once again proves that she not only deserves a seat at the table but should be recognized as one of the greatest living actors. Any scene in which she appears is bound to an illicit emotion. For me, the hardest part about watching Nickel Boys was knowing that what I was witnessing actually occurred, maybe not in the exact play by play that was depicted, but a similar narrative did happen. An institution falsely being sold as a place of reform when in reality the only objective was to cause setback and ultimately erasure. It would be easy to provide a summary of the main plot points within this picture, but that would be doing a disservice, not only to the film itself but to you. Nickel Boys is a particular piece of cinema that needs to be experienced for oneself to truly feel the weight of what it has to say.

There are several moments of the film that I will carry around with me. There is however one scene in particular that has popped into my mind on several occasions. On the first day of school, Elwood’s teacher provides him and his classmates with a marker to cover up the nastiness that litters the inside of their textbooks. The textbooks have been passed down from a nearby school comprised of white students. Knowing that they were headed to a Black school, they chose to fill them with racist graffiti as a parting gift. Pages are notated with distasteful drawings depicting the slaying or torture of Black people, and there is no shortage of hateful words. As the students worked on removing the nastiness from these books that are meant to serve as tools for learning, I could not help but think about how much time is spent as a society trying to keep others down. If all of us were given an equitable start, imagine all the things we could accomplish. I mourn the lives these students never got to live due to systematic obstruction fueled by racism and vileness. If you’re looking for the best picture of 2024, get yourself a ticket to Nickel Boys.

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