A new independent film called “Nickel Boys,” adapted from Colson Whitehead’s novel of the same name, has been circulating film festivals lately, winning various awards and putting it in discussion with other potential Oscar-nominated films like “Sing Sing” and “Challengers.”
Just over a week ago, the 34th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards was held in New York City, where a score of both indie and mainstream films like “Sing Sing,” “The Piano Lesson” and “Dune: Part 2” were submitted in competition for awards. The Gotham film awards began in 1991 as a way, initially, to showcase and celebrate independent films made specifically in the northeastern region of the United States, but has since expanded to include a broader range of competitors on the national and international scales.
This year’s awards ceremony was particularly monumental because it is the first year in its history that all three of the competitive acting awards (Outstanding Lead Performance, Outstanding Supporting Performance and Breakthrough Performer) were won by Black men – Coleman Domingo and Clarence Maclin for their roles in “Sing Sing” and Brandon Wilson with Breakthrough Performance for his role as Turner in “Nickel Boys.”
“Nickel Boys” was nominated for three awards in total, going home with wins for Best Director and Breakthrough Performer. Previous top-prize winners at Gotham, like “Moonlight” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” have even gone on to win Best Picture at the Oscars – though this doesn’t guarantee a nomination for “Nickel Boys,” it certainly, at least, puts it in the conversation.
The directing debut of RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys” takes place in Florida during the Jim Crow era American South, and follows the story of two young men who become friends while enrolled in a segregated and abusive reform school called Nickel Academy – which represents a fictionalized version of the very real Dozier School for Boys in Florida.
The Dozier school operated for over 100 years and was eventually shut down in 2011 following an investigation into the school’s practices, which revealed its history of abusive and neglectful behavior, including the torture, rape and even murder of countless former students.
“Nickel Boys” aims to shed light on the heinous actions of the Dozier school, and attempts to empathize with and spread awareness for the victims of these circumstances. The film centers on Elwood Curtis who is falsely accused of being an accomplice to stealing a car and is, as a result, sent to Nickel Academy where he meets Turner, and the two form an inseparable bond.
The film paints a picture of the harsh realities of the school, and prioritizes Elwood’s perspective by utilizing a unique filming technique where a large portion is shot through point-of-view – making it feel as if we, the viewers, are experiencing the very things Elwood is.
“Nickel Boys” hits select theaters on December 13th and is expected to become available to stream on Prime following its theatrical release.
