Nickel Boys, directed by RaMell Ross, is based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
The film takes us into the harrowing world of a reform school in Florida where two boys, Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), struggle to survive abuse and racism.
Director RaMell Ross employs a unique visual style called “Sentience Perspectives,” immersing the audience in the boys’ experiences through a first-person lens. The perspective shifts subtly, particularly when Elwood’s optimistic worldview meets Turner’s hardened one, forging a connection that is at once heartbreaking and tender.
The film’s intimate yet unflinching portrayal of violence is elevated by cinematographer Jomo Fray’s haunting camera work and an aching score by Scott Alario and Alex Somers.
In my review, I discuss why the sentience perspective enhances the storytelling, how Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor steals the film, and what we lose in favor of the sentience perspective.
Letter Grade: A+