Current:Home > reviewsWhy Oscar hopeful 'Nickel Boys' is 'nothing like' any film you've ever seen -Wealth Legacy Solutions
Why Oscar hopeful 'Nickel Boys' is 'nothing like' any film you've ever seen
View
Date:2025-04-22 00:18:13
NEW YORK – “Nickel Boys” is unlike any movie you’ll see this year.
Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the lyrical drama follows two Black teens in the 1960s South – the bookish Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and worldly-wise Turner (Brandon Wilson) – as they navigate a brutal, racist reform school, where kids are severely beaten and sexually abused. The story is inspired by the now-closed Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida, where dozens of unmarked graves were uncovered on the property in the last decade.
“Nickel Boys” is unique in its experimental approach to the harrowing subject, literally placing the audience in Elwood's and Tucker’s shoes for nearly the entire two-hour film. The movie unfolds from their alternating first-person perspectives: When Elwood’s grandma (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) hugs him, she’s actually embracing the camera, and when the boys talk to each other, they look directly into the lens.
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox.
It’s a bold approach that’s both visually striking and jarring at times. But the cumulative impact is overwhelmingly emotional, as director RaMell Ross immerses the viewer in these characters’ trauma and resilience.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Speaking to journalists on Friday ahead of the movie’s New York Film Festival premiere, Ross said he wanted to explore ideas of authorship and erasure, and who gets to tell Black stories.
Reading Whitehead’s book, “POV was the first thing I thought of,” Ross explained. “I was thinking about when Elwood realized he was a Black person. Coming into the world, and then being confronted with what the world says you are – I was like, ‘Oh, that’s quite poetic.’ It’s like looking-glass theory,” where someone’s sense of self is informed by how they believe others view them.
Herisse (Netflix’s “When They See Us”) told reporters about the challenge of making a movie that’s shot from such an unusual vantage point.
“It’s nothing like anything that anyone on this stage has experienced before,” said Herisse, who was joined by co-stars including Wilson, Ellis-Taylor and “Hamilton” alum Daveed Diggs. “When you start acting, one of the first things you learn is don’t look into the camera. It’s not something you’re supposed to acknowledge, whereas in this experience, you always have to be when you’re talking. So it’s a bit of unlearning and finding a way to (authentically) connect.”
“Nickel Boys” is Ross’ first narrative film, after breaking out in 2018 with his Oscar-nominated documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.” His nonfiction background is at the forefront of the movie, using photographs, news reels and historical documents to help illustrate the tumultuous atmosphere of civil rights-era America. But Ross rarely depicts onscreen violence: In the few scenes where students are abused by school staffers, he instead lets the camera linger on walls, lights and other objects the boys might fixate on in the moment.
“When people go through traumatic things, they’re not always looking in the eye of evil,” Ross said. “You look where you look and those impressions become proxies, which then become sense memories in your future life. So we wanted to think about, ‘Where do people look?' … To me, that’s more visceral and devastating and memorable than seeing Elwood hit.”
“Nickel Boys” will open in select theaters Oct. 25. It’s the opening night movie of the New York Film Festival, where A-listers including Cate Blanchett (“Rumours”), Angelina Jolie (“Maria”), Selena Gomez (“Emilia Pérez”) and Elton John (“Never Too Late”) will be on hand to screen their awards hopefuls in the coming days.
veryGood! (321)
Related
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- CFPB fines Bank of America. What that means for you.
- Trans man's violent arrest under investigation by Los Angeles sheriff's department
- Ethan Slater’s Former Costar Reacts to “Unexpected” Ariana Grande Romance
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy Wants to Star in Barbie 2
- Education Department investigating Harvard's legacy admission policies
- 49ers' Nick Bosa holding out for new contract. Could new deal set record for pass rusher?
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- USWNT embraces pressure at World Cup; It 'has been fuel for this team,' players say
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Celtics' Jaylen Brown agrees to richest deal in NBA history: 5-year, $304M extension
- Horoscopes Today, July 25, 2023
- Marines found dead in vehicle in North Carolina identified
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- How Sofia Richie Will Follow in Big Sister Nicole Richie’s Fashion Footsteps
- UPS, Teamsters avoid massive strike, reach tentative agreement on new contract
- Drew Barrymore to host 74th National Book Awards with Oprah Winfrey as special guest
Recommendation
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
Police end search of Gilgo Beach murder suspect's home after seizing massive amount of material
Love the outrageous costumes from ‘The Righteous Gemstones?’ Get the look for yourself.
Google rebounds from unprecedented drop in ad revenue with a resurgence that pushes stock higher
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
Bronny James, LeBron James' oldest son and USC commit, hospitalized after cardiac arrest
Can the US economy dodge a recession with a 'soft landing?' Here's how that would work.
Cigna health giant accused of improperly rejecting thousands of patient claims using an algorithm