Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys

Watch in the UK

Watch in the US

Data provided by

9 / 10

1 Review

Rate this movie:

9 Based on 1 Votes

10

0
9

1
8

0
7

0
6

0
5

0
4

0
3

0
2

0
1

0

Overview

Chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.

Media

NICKEL BOYS | Official Trailer

Cast

Gralen Bryant Banks

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Director:

RaMell Ross

Writer:

RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes, Colson Whitehead

Release Date:

2024-12-13

Run Time:

140m

Genres:

Financials and Popularity

Budget: 23,200,000.00$

Revenue: 3,016,380.00$

Vote Average: 6.7/10

Vote Count: 346 Votes

Movie Popularity: 3.1217

Spoken Languages: English

Review

View all reviews

Insomniacs Reviews
- 30 April 2026 at 9:17 pm

9 Based on 1 Votes
10

0
9

1
8

0
7

0
6

0
5

0
4

0
3

0
2

0
1

0
⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10 THE SUMMARY Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, this follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a bright Black teenager in 1960s Florida who is sent to a brutal reform school called Nickel Academy after being in the wrong car at the wrong time. There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson), a cynical street-smart kid who has seen it all before. The two form a tight bond to survive the horrific physical and emotional abuse from the school's corrupt staff. It’s a haunting, experimental look at a dark corner of American history that uses a unique perspective to put you directly in the shoes of the boys. THE PROS This is a standout because of its radical filming style—almost the entire movie is shot from a first-person point of view. You see what the characters see, making the tension and the fear feel incredibly personal. It hits a 9 because it avoids being "trauma porn"; it’s more interested in the quiet, human moments and the deep friendship between Elwood and Turner than just showing violence for the sake of it. The performances are remarkable, especially considering the actors are often performing directly into the camera lens. It’s a gritty, poetic, and honest film that handles its heavy subject matter with real dignity and care. THE CONS The experimental first-person camera work won't be for everyone. It can feel a bit disorienting at first, and some might find the shallow focus frustrating when they want to see more of the environment. It stays at a 9 because the pacing is a very deliberate slow-burn, which might feel like a slog for those used to more traditional dramas. It misses a perfect score because the narrow focus means we don't get much depth from the supporting cast or the villains, who can feel a bit like distant shadows rather than fully realized people. THE VERDICT 9/10. A powerful, gritty, and deeply moving adaptation that sticks with you long after the final frame. It’s an honest masterpiece of cinematography that takes a massive risk and pulls it off. Not an easy watch, but an essential one for anyone who appreciates brave storytelling. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • To make the first-person perspective work, the actors Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson often had to act while wearing a camera rig or standing right next to the lens, making their performances even more impressive.• While the school in the book and film is fictional, it’s heavily based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys in Florida, where years of systemic abuse and unmarked graves were eventually uncovered.• The director, RaMell Ross, comes from a documentary background, and he used that experience to give the film its raw, "found-memory" feel, often using non-actors and real locations to keep things grounded. THE VIBE Like a heavy heatwave in the deep south. It smells of cut grass, old dust, and the metallic tang of a chain-link fence.

Videos

NICKEL BOYS | Official Trailer

Cast

Gralen Bryant Banks

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Hamish Linklater

Bryan Gael Guzman

Ethan Cole Sharp

Related Movies To

Nickel Boys

La Haine

La Haine

9 / 10

1 Review

After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.

Run time: 98m Tagline: How far you fall doesn't matter, it's how you land… Release: 1995-05-31

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz

Stars: Abdel Ahmed Ghili Héloïse Rauth Hubert Koundé Joseph Momo Laurent Labasse Olga Abrego Rywka Wajsbrot Saïd Taghmaoui Solo Vincent Cassel

Oldboy

Oldboy

10 / 10

1 Review

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.

Run time: 120m Tagline: 15 years of imprisonment, five days of vengeance. Release: 2003-11-21

Director: Park Chan-wook

Stars: Choi Min-sik Ji Dae-han Kang Hye-jung Kim Byeong-ok Lee Seung-shin Oh Dal-su Oh Tae-kyung Yoo Ji-tae Yoo Yeon-seok Yoon Jin-seo

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright Creatures

9 / 10

1 Review

Through unlikely bonds formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, learns of a life-changing discovery that may bring her joy and wonder once again.

Run time: 114m Tagline: Brighter together. Release: 2026-05-07

Director: Olivia Newman

Stars: Alfred Molina Beth Grant Brandon McEwan Colm Meaney Donald Sales Joan Chen Kathy Baker Lewis Pullman Sally Field Sofia Black-D'Elia

Sarah's Oil

Sarah’s Oil

7 / 10

1 Review

Sarah Rector, a Black girl born in early 20th-century Oklahoma Indian Territory, believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted, and her faith proves right. As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to family, friends, and some Texas wildcatters to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming among the nation's first Black female millionaires—at eleven years old.

Run time: 103m Tagline: Inspired by a true story of faith and fortune. Release: 2025-11-06

Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh

Stars: Adyan Copes Bridget Regan Garret Dillahunt Jonathan Lipnicki Kenric Green Mel Rodriguez Naya Desir-Johnson Sonequa Martin-Green Stelio Savante Zachary Levi

Rise of the Conqueror

Rise of the Conqueror

7 / 10

1 Review

In the 14th-century, as the Silk Road crumbles and rival factions tear the land apart, fearless warrior Timur emerges from exile. Stripped of everything, he fights to unite the fractured kingdoms, using strategy and sheer will to carve an empire from chaos. Undefeated in battle and widely regarded as one of history’s greatest military leaders and tacticians, not to mention one of its most brutal, Timur would found the Timurid Empire, which ruled over modern-day Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia.

Run time: 119m Tagline: His legacy will be written in fire and blood. Release: 2026-04-09

Director: Jacob Schwarz

Stars: Arazou Baker Christian Mortensen Dulguun Odkhuu Joshua Jo Mahesh Jadu Paul Marlon Sanzhar Madi Sayed Badreya Umit Ulgen Yulduz Rajabova

Collections

Nickel Boys

This movie is not part of any collection.

Reviews for

Nickel Boys

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 30 April 2026 at 10:17 PM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 9/10
THE SUMMARY
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, this follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a bright Black teenager in 1960s Florida who is sent to a brutal reform school called Nickel Academy after being in the wrong car at the wrong time. There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson), a cynical street-smart kid who has seen it all before. The two form a tight bond to survive the horrific physical and emotional abuse from the school’s corrupt staff. It’s a haunting, experimental look at a dark corner of American history that uses a unique perspective to put you directly in the shoes of the boys.
THE PROS
This is a standout because of its radical filming style—almost the entire movie is shot from a first-person point of view. You see what the characters see, making the tension and the fear feel incredibly personal. It hits a 9 because it avoids being “trauma porn”; it’s more interested in the quiet, human moments and the deep friendship between Elwood and Turner than just showing violence for the sake of it. The performances are remarkable, especially considering the actors are often performing directly into the camera lens. It’s a gritty, poetic, and honest film that handles its heavy subject matter with real dignity and care.
THE CONS
The experimental first-person camera work won’t be for everyone. It can feel a bit disorienting at first, and some might find the shallow focus frustrating when they want to see more of the environment. It stays at a 9 because the pacing is a very deliberate slow-burn, which might feel like a slog for those used to more traditional dramas. It misses a perfect score because the narrow focus means we don’t get much depth from the supporting cast or the villains, who can feel a bit like distant shadows rather than fully realized people.
THE VERDICT
9/10. A powerful, gritty, and deeply moving adaptation that sticks with you long after the final frame. It’s an honest masterpiece of cinematography that takes a massive risk and pulls it off. Not an easy watch, but an essential one for anyone who appreciates brave storytelling.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
• To make the first-person perspective work, the actors Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson often had to act while wearing a camera rig or standing right next to the lens, making their performances even more impressive.
• While the school in the book and film is fictional, it’s heavily based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys in Florida, where years of systemic abuse and unmarked graves were eventually uncovered.
• The director, RaMell Ross, comes from a documentary background, and he used that experience to give the film its raw, “found-memory” feel, often using non-actors and real locations to keep things grounded.
THE VIBE
Like a heavy heatwave in the deep south. It smells of cut grass, old dust, and the metallic tang of a chain-link fence.

Leave a Review Cancel reply

X

Welcome to our website