Hyde Park Pick: Nickel Boys

It’s only January, but we may have already found our film of the year…

Nickel Boys follows the stories of two young black men, Elwood and Turner, who are forced to fight for survival in the face of shocking institutional abuse at the Nickel Academy – a corrupt 1960s reform school in Florida.

Following his beautiful 2018 documentary Hale County, This Morning, This Evening, director RaMell Ross takes the same intimate and soulful approach with his latest film, utilising unique and gorgeously realised first-person cinematography to place us front and centre of the harrowing events experienced by Elwood and Turner. And while the film’s powerful depiction of racial trauma is undoubtedly a difficult watch, there are also moments of light, love and wonder that provide some much needed heart and hope to otherwise terrible events.

Some may be familiar with Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys, which is based on the true story of a now-closed, notorious reform school in Florida, where investigators found dozens of unmarked graves a decade ago. And those keen to see a faithful adaptation of this important work won’t be disappointed. But as well as being respectful of the source material, RaMell Ross’ adaptation also manages to do something artistically bold and truly original, breaking cinematic conventions and pushing new boundaries, to help us connect with the story on an even more emotional and spiritual level.  

The film also owes a huge amount to its two breakout leads, Ethan Herissee and Brandom Wilson, whose phenomenal performances are key to the film’s success – and I can’t wait to see what careers lie ahead for them both. 

Ultimately this is one of those films where the less you read about it before, the better. So in that spirit, I’ll end by saying – if you only see one film in cinemas this year, make it this one. 

Nickel Boys screens at HPPH from this Friday. Showtimes and tickets are available here.