Nickel Boys

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2:24

Nickel Boys

PG-13

Released Jan 24

2h 20m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

206 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

Elwood Curtis's college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he's sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King's burnished oratory. Despite Nickel's brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.

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Critics Consensus

Director RaMell Ross' stylistically radical approach to adapting Colson Whitehead's searing novel will be jarring for some, but Nickel Boys' sense of immersion achieves the jaw-dropping effect of walking in another's shoes.

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Audience Says

A cinematic breakthrough, Nickel Boys may not appeal to those seeking a conventional approach to storytelling but will reward those in need of an experimental narrative that’s undeniably profound.

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Adam Nayman

Toronto Star

One of the biggest conceptual swings of recent years, but never once feels uncertain or opportunistic, or even show-offy in an Oscar-baiting manner. It’s ingenious and also empathetic: a rare mix worthy of deconstruction and celebration.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 17, 2025

Full Review

Wenlei Ma

The Nightly (AU)

By putting you in the literal point-of-view of its characters, the film becomes an empathy machine.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 1, 2025

Full Review

Kat Sachs

Chicago Reader

Based on Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel, Ross’s adaptation is a poetical rendering of its subject matter.

Feb 13, 2025

Full Review

Samantha Schuster

Cinéfilo Serial

Nickel Boys is a well-chosen film that successfully addresses issues such as racism and segregation in 1960s America through a unique, powerful, and intense story. [Full Review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Jul 17, 2025

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Director RaMell Ross, who adapts Whithead’s novel with Joslyn Barnes, is a refreshing new voice in modern cinema.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 6, 2025

Full Review

Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

Nickel Boys is the best movie of 2024 by a country mile, and easily one of the best of the century.

Apr 17, 2025

Full Review

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Chan

good movie style movie made to fully get into but still good

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/04/25

Full Review

shm

I think it was a great story, but unfortunately filming from the first person perspective was distracting and made the film difficult to follow.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

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sanjay m

Weird camera angles, disjointed flow.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

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Morgan R

Unfollwable. I don’t know who had the idea of creating a movie that used so many oddball cinematic devices so poorly. I get that it’s a huge subject, incredibly sad, but they chose an alienating way to tell it

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/02/25

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Sam

A special, special movie that will be remembered and discussed decades from now. Hoping more people can check it out.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/02/25

Full Review

Patricia R

really well done. I read the book which let me imagine some of the occurrences. Watching the movie was almost as good and a little more frightening. A story that needed to be told!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

Full Review

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Nickel Boys: Trailer 2

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Nickel Boys: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Elwood Curtis's college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he's sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King's burnished oratory. Despite Nickel's brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.

Director: RaMell Ross
Producer: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine, Joslyn Barnes
Screenwriter: RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes
Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios
Production Co: Anonymous Content, Louverture Films, Plan B Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Racism|Racial Slurs|Violent Content|Smoking|Some Strong Language|Thematic Material)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 24, 2025, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.8M
Runtime: 2h 20m
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

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