Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys is a 2024 American historical drama film based on the 2019 novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. It was directed by RaMell Ross, who wrote the screenplay with Joslyn Barnes. Starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Jimmie Fails, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, the story follows two African-American boys, Elwood (Herisse) and Turner (Wilson), who are sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. The film is inspired by the Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed Florida reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of students.

The film was shot from a first-person point-of-view, with filming taking place in Louisiana in late 2022. It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, and had a limited theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios on December 13, 2024. It was named one of the top 10 films of 2024 by the American Film Institute and received numerous accolades, including the award for Best Cinematography at the 40th Independent Spirit Awards, a Best Motion Picture – Drama nomination at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and two nominations at the 97th Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. IndieWire named it the best movie of the 2020s, as of 2025.