StubStack: Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys’ collage-like construction and point-of-view framing create a captivating cinematic experience.

Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel, Nickel Boys dives into the lives of two young Black men in the 1960s South, as they navigate the brutal realities of Jim Crow and systemic racism.

I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot. There aren’t any “twists” per se, but there were some moments of revelation that strengthened the emotionality of the story. If you’re already familiar with the book or the real-life events it’s based on, these clarifying moments may not be as impactful, though that won’t diminish the quality of the film.

Nickel Boys is not a linear story. That, and the POV framing take some time to get used to. Once acclimated, it makes for compelling storytelling. This choice furthers the audience's connection to the film's characters and their experiences making the story’s events all the more impactful. The narrative unfolds in front of us as though we are inside the characters’ eyes. Movements of the camera communicate where the protagonists are looking, and what they’re seeing, or avoiding, this storytelling device serves and enhances the thematic elements of the film.

I’ll cite one specific example: “Don’t look a predator in the eye” may be a piece of advice you’ve heard before. That is because animal experts will tell you that eye contact is perceived by predators as a challenge to their claim to a territory, a mate, or their general dominance. In Nickel Boys, and America’s Jim Crow South, the white man is the predator and the Black man is the prey. Throughout Nickel Boys, you’ll see the camera turn downward toward feet, toward the ground, to avoid eye contact with white people so as not to upset them for fear of violence.

I didn't notice this right away; it was only after it happened a second and third time that I caught it. It’s one of many small but important details that strengthen the film's themes. There are other similar elements throughout the film; see if you can find them! I’m sure I missed a few myself.

Ethan Herisse as Elwood and Brandon Wilson as Turner in Nickel Boys.

The filmmaking choices, the imagery, and the soundtrack work wonders together, as do the central performances. The two boys, Elwood and Turner, are kind, smart, and relatable. Their friendship and their hardship are incredibly endearing.

I saw Nickel Boys on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Rather fitting as references to and images of MLK are sprinkled throughout the film. The film's subject and themes explain the civil rights leaders' presence as well. Nickel Boys is about the despicable treatment of Black people, Black boys in particular, by both white individuals and institutions. However, it doesn’t beat you over the head with that message, it’s sprinkled in, and ever-present in the background. Instead, the focus is on how this treatment impacts the psyche of Black boys, and young Black men, and how those experiences follow them into adulthood and forever remain.

While Nickel Boy is not a fun or happy movie, it has enough light-hearted and heartwarming moments not to leave you depressed. It’s not meant to excite or enthrall, but endear and enlighten, and it delivers. It’s a thought-provoking and emotional story about an American experience that was all too common and how those experiences reverberate today.

Nickel Boys is worth your time for the uniqueness of its framing and filmmaking, with the added benefit of being quite thoughtful and moving.