It is rare for a film based on a major book to preserve the depth and precision of its source material while also creating its own unique visual language, but RaMell Ross’s extraordinary adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2019 novel Nickel Boys does just that. 

Based on real events, the film tells the story of two Black teenagers who are sent to a brutal juvenile reformatory in Jim Crow-era Florida. It explores their unbreakable friendship as they endure the grueling realities of reform school. In standout performances, Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson portray Elwood and Turner, who hold onto their hope as they face mounting horrors at Nickel Academy. When Curtis recalls his life-altering bond with Jack Turner, the revelation of the Academy’s abuse propels the narrative forward.

Ross’s film is a dazzling accomplishment, using a highly subjective lens, archival footage, and poetic montages that enhance the emotional depth of its characters. Nickel Boys is a powerful and captivating exploration of trauma and the hidden truths of American history.

Nickel Boys was the winner of the Milos Stehlik Breakthrough Filmmaker Award, given annually by the Chicago Film Critics Association in honor of our visionary founder, Milos Stehlik, and celebrates a new emerging talent.