“We must believe in our souls that we are somebody, that we are significant, that we are worthful, and we must walk the streets of life every day with this sense of dignity and this sense of somebody-ness.” These are words from the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and they serve as an inspirational catalyst for Colson Whitehead’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Nickel Boys.”
The book, which followed Whitehead’s critically acclaimed “The Underground Railroad,” shadows the gut-wrenching tale of two Black boys, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), negotiating their hard-time served in a severe reform school, Nickel Academy, and attempting to claim, protect and nurture their own humanity in a world that isn’t always kind or welcoming to people of color, particularly Black men.
Now this tale is getting the Hollywood treatment with a screenplay adapted by director RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes. The film, which had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival on Friday evening and has dropped the “The” to be simply “Nickel Boys,” is based on a true story of the infamous 111-year-old Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida.
The reformatory made headlines in the early 2000s when hundreds of men came forward sharing stories about the physical and emotional abuse they endured during their time served. The institution closed in 2011, and an ongoing investigation determined that more than 100 boys died on the grounds and were buried in unmarked graves.
This may sound like another Black trauma porn motion picture sanctioned by Hollywood to exploit Black history for financial gain. Thankfully, through the lens of Ross, this narrative doesn’t fall into that trap we have seen for decades. Ross — mostly known for his Oscar-nominated documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” — brings his unique cinematic sensibility, allowing audiences to experience this type of story from a sensory perspective.
In addition to spectacular casting from Victoria Thomas and a fabulous score composed by Scott Alario and Alex Somers, the performances are definitely something to talk about. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is a force to be reckoned with as Elwood’s Grandma Hattie, with the rare ability to pull you in and make you feel things in the depths of your soul, whether you want to or not. Her monologue on how her Daddy went from being a joyful, smiling man to one who hung himself in jail will leave audiences breathless. She delivers it while slicing a cake with medical precision, as if to detract from the bomb she is about to drop.
The understated yet powerful performances of Herisse and Wilson, who have an organic chemistry and camaraderie, leap off the screen. One of the most powerful scenes in the film is when a grown Elwood unexpectedly runs into Chickie Pete (Craig Tate) and we learn the fate of the other boys. Witnessing the gamut of emotions running through Chickie will make you feel as if you snuck in on a reunion of two war veterans reluctant to acknowledge or share their past trauma, not even with each other.
Last but certainly not least is Hamish Linklater. Mostly known for his comedic prowess on shows like “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “The Crazy Ones,” he’s also appeared in multiple well-received TV shows in the past few years, including “Manhunt,” “Gaslit” and “Midnight Mass.” Linklater leans on the latter skills here, inhabiting the role of Spencer, the reformatory’s cruel superintendent, with every despicable and dastardly bone in his body. His gaze says more than a thousand words of dialogue could ever express.
“Nickel Boys” hearkens back to a time that unfortunately still exists in some areas of America, even today. It is a hard, yet necessary watch laying out in a million ways how Black people are constantly victims of a classic case of injustice — injustice that often only happens to just us.
“Nickel Boys” will be released by Orion and Amazon MGM Studios on Oct. 25.
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