‘Nickel Boys’ Redefines Cinematic Storytelling with First-Person Perspective

RaMell Ross’s adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel immerses viewers in the lived experiences of two Black teens at a reformatory school in the Jim Crow South.

The film employs a groundbreaking first-person perspective, allowing viewers to experience the story through the eyes of its protagonists, Elwood and Turner.
Director RaMell Ross and cinematographer Jomo Fray used innovative techniques, including body-mounted cameras, to create an intimate and immersive visual language.
Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel, the story is set in a fictionalized version of the abusive Dozier School for Boys in 1960s Florida.
The film avoids depictions of physical violence, focusing instead on emotional resonance and the transfer of love between characters to convey its themes.
Critics have praised the film for its poetic imagery, technical audacity, and ability to challenge conventional cinematic approaches to storytelling.