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Nickel Boys

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for Nickel Boys PG-13 Now Playing 2h 20m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 167 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100+ Verified Ratings
Elwood Curtis's college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he's sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King's burnished oratory. Despite Nickel's brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.
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Nickel Boys

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Critics Consensus

Director RaMell Ross' stylistically radical approach to adapting Colson Whitehead's searing novel will be jarring for some, but Nickel Boys' sense of immersion achieves the jaw-dropping effect of walking in another's shoes.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Rainer FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) Just because the director has shot it in this way does not mean this was the best way to shoot it. Jan 17, 2025 Full Review Kambole Campbell Empire Magazine Nickel Boys is a triumph. Rated: 5/5 Jan 16, 2025 Full Review Danny Leigh Financial Times And yet for all the radical dazzle of Ross’s filmmaking, human drama is always the crux. Rated: 5/5 Jan 15, 2025 Full Review Cory Woodroof For the Win (USA Today) You leave this film feeling as if you’ve been given the memories of others, as if the ghosts in the empathy machine of cinema need you to remember them forever. That’s filmmaking in the highest order. Jan 18, 2025 Full Review Sean P. Means The Movie Cricket As Turner gets his first look at Elwood, the audience can sense that Ross’ direction is teaching us how to see these characters, and how to watch the movie. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 18, 2025 Full Review John Urbancich JMuvies Visual filmmaker RaMell Ross tells this important story with the unusual lens of first-person perspective, a courageous choice that might make it difficult for viewers to find their way into its heartbreaking core. Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 18, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kelven P One of the best adaptations ever made Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/25 Full Review Amy R I loved the book and could not wait to see the movie. I was very disappointed. It appeared that the artistic development of the film was more important than telling the story. I left with a headache from the montage of film clips. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review Ben W VERY VERY VERY VERY GOOD. Incredibly unique and beautiful. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review Jakedib Read the book before and movie was still way too obscure and lost in its "artsiness" Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review laura Authentic, creative, powerful. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review Samuel H It is a very pwerful story but there are lots of weird shots that idn't seem to really add to the story. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Nickel Boys

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Nickel Boys

Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse on Becoming The 'Nickel Boys' Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse on Becoming The 'Nickel Boys' 10:55 Nickel Boys: Trailer 2 Nickel Boys: Trailer 2 2:24 Nickel Boys: Trailer 1 Nickel Boys: Trailer 1 1:15 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Elwood Curtis's college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he's sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King's burnished oratory. Despite Nickel's brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.
Director
RaMell Ross
Producer
Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine, Joslyn Barnes
Screenwriter
RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes
Distributor
Amazon MGM Studios
Production Co
Anonymous Content, Louverture Films, Plan B Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Violent Content|Smoking|Racism|Racial Slurs|Some Strong Language|Thematic Material)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 13, 2024, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$406.3K
Runtime
2h 20m
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)