Film Review: ‘Nickel Boys’ tackles racial injustice and power dynamics through point-of-view storytelling

By Ellie Trinkle

It is easy for a film to get viewers to imagine what it would be like to be in a character’s shoes, but it is rare for a movie to actually place us in their shoes. RaMell Ross’ historical drama “Nickel Boys” accomplishes this and is easily one of the most poignant, gripping, and unusual films of the present day. “Nickel Boys” finds most of its success in employing point-of-view storytelling, diverting from traditional narrative film techniques.

The film, based on the Pulitzer Prize 2019 novel by Colson Whitehead, “The Nickel Boys,” is inspired by the real Arthur G. Dozier School in Florida, a 111-year-old reform school exposed for abuse, forced labor, and unjust deaths. Director Ross brings these harrowing stories to life for his first narrative feature.

Ross’s previous work in documentary films focused on the lives of Black Americans in the Deep South. His 2018 documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” exposed the racial injustices in Hale County, Alabama, and the lasting impacts on the Black community. Ross’s previous work earned him considerable recognition and praise, but “Nickel Boys” solidifies him as a risk taker and an exceptional filmmaker.

A story of power dynamics and friendship

“Nickel Boys” follows Black teenager Elwood Curtis and his life in Tallahassee, Florida, during the Jim Crow period in the 1960s. Abandoned by his parents, Elwood lives with his grandmother, who encourages him to pursue higher education. Inspired by the ongoing Civil Rights Movement around him, Elwood finds community in speaking out against racial injustices. Elwood’s intellect and drive secure him a promising scholarship to Melvin Griggs Technical School and the opportunity to become something bigger than himself.

But fate has another plan for Elwood. Having to hitchhike to get to school, he secures a ride from a friendly stranger to take him to his first day of classes. Before arriving at school, they are stopped by the police and convicted of stealing the car they are driving in. Elwood’s academic career suddenly crumbles before his eyes when he is sentenced to the fictional Nickel Academy for Boys—a segregated reform school that aims to rehabilitate delinquent youth. Elwood will soon learn there is something far more sinister at play.

During his first few days at Nickel, Elwood befriends Turner, who promises to help him navigate this new and confusing world. Elwood and Turner share polarizing views; Elwood, the optimist, believes he can “graduate” from Nickel early if he is obedient enough, while Turner knows that no matter how well-behaved one is, they will never be exempt from abuse.

As the film progresses, we learn that their white superiors sexually and physically abuse the Black boys at Nickel. This constant discrimination and abuse in the contained space of Nickel Academy paints a picture that is situated in a much larger context; the world around them is one deeply complicit in racial injustices.

Seeing and being

What immediately sets the stylistic choices in “Nickel Boys” apart from other films is that the majority is shot in point-of-view, placing the viewer directly in line with Elwood and Turner. The first half of the film is strictly through Elwood’s eyes, allowing small moments to become ones of extreme significance: Elwood’s hands shaking when he is about to be arrested, the feeling of discomfort as he passes “the white side” of Nickel Academy upon arrival, and the sinister look on the superior’s face right before Elwood is abused. We become immersed in this world and every uncomfortable space and moment that comes with it.

The first time the camera switches to Tuner’s point-of-view is in the Nickel cafeteria when the boys meet for the first time. The viewer sees the same scene play out again from Turner’s perspective. While the switch in perspective is initially jarring, it seems to emphasize the physical space of Nickel’s off-putting environment.

These point-of-view shots place the viewer directly in the scene, almost as if to say this is happening, pay attention, see it with your own eyes. It is a bold choice that ultimately enhances the storytelling and makes this film all the more compelling.

An imaginative and immersive experience

The film also switches between timelines, jumping from the boys’ time at Nickel to adulthood, where the point-of-view style becomes omniscient. The viewer is no longer moving with Elwood and Turner but is instead placed behind the head of an adult, Elwood, who now lives in New York City. The viewer never sees adult Elwood’s face, but we are with him as he reads news articles exposing some of the horrors of Nickel Academy. We are with him when he runs into a peer from Nickel at a bar, where we learn he is no longer in contact with Turner. We are with him, but always at a distance, suggesting how Elwood has become more closed off in his adulthood, unable to fully conceptualize his painful time at Nickel.

Archival footage is also incorporated into the film, notably “Apollo 8” and the 1958 film, “The Defiant Ones,” creating texture between Elwood and Turner while connecting them to the larger socio-political context of the time. Ross reminds viewers that this story is only a small vignette representing greater systemic injustices through these devices.

Reimagining history

“Nickel Boys” is a captivating depiction of an unjust history and the trauma, hardships, and friendship that arose from it. The film’s powerful stylistic choices encourage viewers to sit with the uncomfortable moments and find compassion within them.

As Ross’ film reminds us, empathy is our strongest quality. When the credits began to roll, and I walked out of the theatre, I thought a lot about the past and every hard truth that comes with it. I thought back to the mirror shot, the film’s cover, which is coincidentally the only time we see Elwood and Turner in the same frame. Despite everything, they still manage to look up.

Ellie Trinkle is a film and creative writing major attending Middlebury College.