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London Film Festival 2024 – Nickel Boys ★★★★★

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Released: 3 January 2025

Director: RaMell Moss

Starring: Ethan Herisse, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Brandon Wilson

Screen adaptations of celebrated novels are a delicate balancing act. Some attempts succeed, many stumble – and in the case of RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, some transcend the genre entirely. Based on Colson Whitehead’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, Ross depicts the lives of two Black boys living in the Jim Crow era of the US and the bond they form as they try to survive a notorious Florida reform school. 

We’re first introduced to Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a bright child with a distinct sense of justice. Brought up by his grandmother (a deeply moving Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Elwood’s worldview is shaped by the words of Martin Luther King and America’s advancements in space. With the encouragement of his teacher Mr Hall (Jimmie Fails), Elwood signs up for advanced classes at the local college. On the way to his first class, he makes the fateful decision to accept a ride from a man in a flashy Impala that turns out to be stolen. This lands him a ticket to Nickel Academy, a reform school with outward claims of instilling good behaviour as its inhabitants advance towards graduation. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that at the institution’s core lies a system of horrific abuse. Elwood meets Turner (Brandon Wilson), a savvy boy with the self-assured air of someone free from delusions of fairness. Despite their differing demeanours, the two become companions as they try to withstand the constant threat – and usual fulfilment – of violence.

The striking visual language of Nickel Boys is present from the outset. Filmed from a POV perspective, the audience becomes both Elwood and Turner – often switching multiple times in one scene. This moves us from bystander to active participant, and although Ross places our viewpoint in the centre of the action, there is no narrative spoonfeeding. We’re often challenged to follow what is happening as the timeline also jumps between Elwood’s boyhood and the modern setting of his life years later –  this time only visible from the back of his head. In addition, the story is interspersed with archival footage of American history; ranging from Apollo 8 space exploration to various images of Black children. Without the ease of conventional storytelling cues to filter our emotions through, some may find it difficult to connect fully with the film’s events – but this is what makes Nickel Boys remarkable. Ross and fellow screenwriter Joslyn Barnes are refreshingly free of concerns about eliciting empathy in the usual sense, inviting the audience to evolve their understanding instead. Whitehead’s novel is perfect in its economy, forgoing lengthy passages describing physical brutality. Here, exquisite sound design is used to give a grim idea of the evil acts unfolding as the visual fills with grainy photos of the boys who were tortured and in many cases never seen again. Nickel itself is fictional, but real-life reform schools carried out these practices with their secrets only acknowledged decades later as excavation sites.  

As a cinematic experience, Nickel Boys is as transformative as you allow it to be. While book readers may feel grateful to have an existing knowledge of the story to anchor them through the film’s more enigmatic moments, those who haven’t read the book can enjoy the full effects of a stunning sensory feast that lands entirely fresh. In taking the effort to learn the grammar of Ross’ storytelling, and committing to a truly immersive exploration of race, history and memory, we’re gifted with an inspiring, inventive translation that elevates its already exceptional source material. 

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