Directed by RaMell Ross, this is one of the most spellbinding literary adaptations that will be remembered for ages. Nickel Boys is based on the Pulitzer winning novel written by Colson Whitehead. Nickel Boys is a revelation in the eyes of an authenticity—it weaves its audience into the journey of its main characters. Revolving around rough times in the 1960s, it is in an in-depth exploration that is remarkable. Ross wrote the screenplay with producer and writer Joslyn Barnes—together, they loop in cultural tides fighting to find the light in a troubled world.

The view point of Nickel Boys has its camera set up in a one-point perspective. It is seen through the eyes of its main characters as if the audience is in the role of a first-person shooting video game. Instead of playing as the “first-person” they are watching them. The two main characters are Elwood (played by Ethan Herisse) and Turner (played by Brandon Wilson). They are two friends who are as close as brothers. Elwood is wrongly accused of a crime and he is sent to the Nickel Academy where the boys meet. The friendship of both Elwood and Turner grows in the reform school they are attending. As they correlate and connect, the film’s approach to taking a stand is real—two African American men fighting for their rights is the dynamic of the friendship in Nickel Boys. 

Through rules and barriers looking to be broken, I found Nickel Boys to be one that finds a strong voice for fairness and equality. The frustration of racism and segregation goes full throttle for Elwood and Turner to stand tall. The notion of unfair treatment due to false accusations thrives with an award-winning achievement from the mind of Ross—the presence of suffrage and friendship are the bond which makes Nickel Boys Oscar-worthy. Barriers are meant to be broken, and once they are, thedoor is open to a point of no return. This creates a humanistic form of filmmaking that I have never seen before—it is elegant, focused, and heroic.

The rebellious nature of the film keeps the evolvement of purpose flowing rapidly. My appreciation for Nickel Boys is the hope and resilience that it brings through its entirety. I was dazzled by the film’s compelling form of writing, directing, and acting, as all three of those elements work to keep the film’s purpose intact. Set in a time when opportunity for education waslittle to none, the pattern of persistence and hope pervades here. Nickel Boys spirals with despair that turns vigorously into ambition.

Not only is Nickel Boys one of the best films of 2024, but it may also be the project of Moss’s career. A cinematic phenomenon that reminds its audience to not lose faith and reminding them of this era that was one of consistent trial and error through which one had to keep fighting. The reform school may be presented as a halting place of terror for two friends, but it is also the placewhere they can make a difference for themselves. Four out of four stars for Nickel Boys.