Films for Breakfast

Ever so often, you see a film that feels truly groundbreaking. I don’t say that lightly, as I think so many films can be fantastic and not necessarily break new ground. But, in the case of Nickel Boys, it feels as if director RaMell Ross (well known for his documentary film Hale County This Morning) has truly delivered something unlike anything I’ve ever seen before – telling a dramatic true story entirely from a first-person perspective. There are films that flirt with this style for a sequence or two, or even action films like Hardcore Henry that have done it before – but no one has utilized the format quite like Ross does here; and it makes it one of the most essential and captivating films you’ll see all year.

Based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel from 2019, the film follows Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) after he’s sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory school in Florida in the height of the Jim Crow era; seemingly worlds away from the concurrent speeches of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement Elwood sees on television sets. Curtis quickly crosses paths with Turner (Brandon Wilson) – the two strike up a friendship rooted in escape from the harsh realities around them each day. Turner is jaded towards his experiences at Nickel and only feels the need to survive each day, whereas Elwood attempts to cling onto his humanity and optimism despite the terrible things they experience on a daily basis.

The relationship between Elwood and Turner is quite literally the heart and soul of Nickel Boys; they are the primary focal point of the entire story, as you never once leave their perspective and experience everything through their lens. The chemistry between the two is striking, as they form a genuine friendship with one-another where it feels like they can escape from the harsh realities around them with a laugh or adventure. But they also challenge each other’s worldviews in unexpected ways, which influences how they operate at Nickel Academy and respond to the world around them. It’s such a deeply fascinating relationship that RaMell Ross wisely spends the most time developing, and the two performances from Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse are deeply effective and impressive; especially given the first-person perspective they have to perform within.

The film is also not beholden to any one perspective or narrative as it plays out – you are sometimes given shots of other films, historical events, archive footage, etc. without much explanation that becomes more clear as the film continues. RaMell Ross is a well-known documentary filmmaker, but unlike others who transition from documentaries to narrative-filmmaking, he doesn’t completely leave-behind that sense of style and perspective when making Nickel Boys. Yes, this is largely a dramatic retelling of a true story and a companion piece to the novel of the same name, but Ross does not feel beholden to telling the story in a traditional sense. It feels more interested within invoking emotion and understanding of Elwood and Turner’s experience rather than simply going through the motions of reciting every event documented surrounding Nickel Academy.

Ross’s direction is simply one of the most impressive directorial efforts I’ve seen from a filmmaker in years – it truly feels unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. His understanding of the importance of perspective is so vital in this film being as effective and heart-wrenching as it is; so many films put you in the backseat of the events that are unfolding, but in Nickel Boys, you are firmly within the same shoes as those who lived through these tragic events – thus experiencing every emotion they encountered while combatting it on a daily basis. If this doesn’t earn you a nomination for Best Director at the Academy Awards, I don’t know what does.

On top of RaMell Ross’s incredible direction, all of the other technical elements are just as perfect. The cinematography from DP Jomo Fray doesn’t just settle for its first-person perspective to be impressive enough, but his work is so fluid that the format never once becomes frustrating as a viewer. Instead, each frame moves so beautifully and he implements a deep visual flair that makes it one of the most visually striking films I’ve seen this year. The score from composers Scott Alario and Alex Somers is completely mesmerizing, naturally drifting between haunting and soaring; sometimes both simultaneously. All of this crescendos into a truly mesmerizing experience.

As the credits rolled on Nickel Boys, I found myself unable to get out of my seat or talk to those around me about what I experienced. It’s a film that sits with you long after it’s over and I feel like I won’t be able to forget it anytime soon. RaMell Ross has delivered an absolute masterpiece that tells a devastating yet essential story about America’s history; something that has tried to be hidden, but is so monumentally unjust that it can’t stay buried. One of the absolute best films of the year.

5/5