Nickel Boys Movie Review

Nickel Boys (2024)

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Written by: RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes (screenplay), Colson Whitehead (book "The Nickel Boys")
Directed by: RaMell Ross
Starring: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Daveed Diggs, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A powerful friendship develops between two young African-American men as they navigate the harrowing trials of reform school together.

Verdict
What at first seems like a first person viewpoint gimmick becomes fully immersive. The limitations of what we can't see put us in the minds of the characters. This is deliberately economical in what's shown or not. Throughout the movie we have hope versus cynicism through the two characters, seeing the world through their eyes. Due to friends have differing opinions, we see their views shift and that gives this movie a big impact towards the end when that arc is revealed. I already liked this movie, but the conclusion takes this to another level.
Watch It.

Review
The book won the 2020 Pulitzer prize for fiction. The movie was nominated for Best Picture.

I thought I remembered this being a gimmick movie. The entire movie is shot in first person perspective. I have to assume it's a nod to the book, putting us in a position to see the perspective of the characters, though the book is written in third person perspective.

This begins by showing us images of Elwood's (Ethan Herisse) childhood. This makes sure to show us reflections, highlighting that we don't see the camera. The way it's filmed certainly lends to Elwood's viewpoint and his interests as we see what captures his gaze. He grew up during the 60s and the fight for social equality.

Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson play Elwood, Turner

Elwood gets into a college program while still in high school, but one mistake while hitch hiking changes everything. Elwood ends up in a highly segregated reform school where white kids get all the advantages, education, and benefits. The black kids are housed in a single room, getting the worst of everything. This is where Elwood meets Turner (Brandon Wilson). Their first interaction is shown from both of their points of view. It reinforces personal perception and the line between perception and reality.

The format is attention getting, helping to set the movie apart. I never felt like I could see enough in each scene. That has to be intentional, we're limited just like the characters. We're provided with the necessary information, and what's left to speculation ultimately doesn't need to be seen. It does draw you in.

We see the inequality through the eyes of the students. Through Elwood and Turner we have hope and cynicism. I'd like to believe in Elwood's hope for a brighter future and change, but Turner's cynicism seems closer to the truth. I wrote the alligator off the first time I saw it, but we see it again. It must represent terror; the monster lurking behind you. Despite Elwood's hope, he has this feeling that terror is creeping up on him.

Brandon Wilson plays Turner

We do see adult Elwood reading the news that buried bodies have been found on the campus of his old school Nickel Academy. I didn't think we'd see adult Elwood this quickly, but it's only a snippet that connects his past experiences with his present. The atrocities at Nickel are eventually revealed. Did Elwood play a part in that?

Because of a rigged fight and Elwood's hope, he plans to expose the crimes of the school. It's his naivete that he thinks it will make a difference. Turner cautions him to be careful. The conclusion of the movie isn't what I expected. It forced me to reconsider what I've seen. A movie's conclusion can help or hurt, and this ending gives the movie a boost. I liked the movie already, but this ending is the kind of impact the movie needed to leave you thinking about it after the credits end.