RaMell Ross' 'Nickel Boys' Opens NYFF with Emotional Impact

Adapted from Colson Whitehead's novel, the film explores the harrowing experiences of Black teens in a 1960s reform school.

RaMell Ross' 'Nickel Boys' is based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and premiered at the New York Film Festival.
The film is set in a Jim Crow-era Florida reform school and follows two Black teenagers, Elwood and Turner, as they endure severe abuse and racism.
Ross employs a unique first-person perspective to immerse viewers in the characters' experiences, alternating between Elwood's and Turner's viewpoints.
The film avoids explicit depictions of violence, instead focusing on the emotional and psychological impact of the boys' trauma.
Critics have praised the performances of Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, as well as the film's innovative cinematography and production design.