Nickel Boys | Film Review

 

Elwood (Ethan Herisse) has a promising future when he is sentenced to brutal reformatory Nickel Academy. Once there he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson) and forms a friendship that becomes essential to his survival.

This is one of the Best Picture nominees that I knew the least about, so because of that, it was also one of the ones that I went into with the least context.

I loved this film.

I was immediately gripped just by the unique way it was shot. From what I've seen online the first person pov is a bit hit or miss, but it really hit for me. It was so creative and interesting, and immediately allowed me to build a connection with the characters.

It also made everything that happened much more powerful, being able to live in this world through Elwood and Turner's eyes was really impactful.

The film was really reminiscent of the film 'Sleepers', not just in terms of the subject matter, but in the way it creates fear and tension, and how these feelings are passed on to the audience.

As well as being a Best Picture nominee, it's also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and although I know it probably won't win, in my opinion, this was the best-written film of all the nominees, and I would love for it to take that Oscar. Not only is the writing so visceral, but it was really thought-provoking and powerful.

And then there's the performances. Herisse and Wilson played their characters incredibly well and brought so much heart to Elwood and Turner, and they were supported by an amazing cast.

Overall, this film is harrowing, intense and heart-breaking. It absolutely deserves its Oscar nominations and I really hope it does well on the night!

8/10