Movies about the abuse suffered by teens in correctional institutions are nothing new. Ireland’s repulsive Magdalene Laundries alone has been the subject of at least three dramatizations, as well as a documentary.
Less well-known, although no less repugnant, was the Florida School for Boys (aka the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys) in the panhandle, which was immortalized in Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel “The Nickel Boys.” RaMell Ross’ daring and highly experimental film adaptation, “Nickel Boys” (MGM/Amazon Studios/Orion), takes the genre in an entirely new direction.
One of the things that sets “Nickel Boys” apart is how Ross treats the characters’ viewpoints. For instance, the audience experiences each of the three main characters’ perspectives through their own eyes. It’s initially jarring, but ultimately successful and fulfilling.
Raised by his grandmother Hattie (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is such a promising student that one of his high school teachers arranges for him to attend classes at a technical college. While walking along a highway on his way to the new school, he is offered a ride by a man in what turns out to be a stolen car. In one fell swoop, Elwood’s promising future comes to a crashing halt when he is wrongfully sentenced to the Nickel Academy reform school.
Keep in mind that this is Tallahassee in the early 1960s. As the rest of the country is making its slow progress toward recognition of civil rights, guided by Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, life in North Florida is lagging far behind. The Nickel Academy is segregated. The white teens are treated much better than the black ones in every way imaginable.
While at Nickel, Elwood befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson). It is through Turner that Elwood learns lessons in survival, including dealing with bullies such as Griff (Luke Tennie), ruthless headmaster Spencer (Hamish Linklater), and corrupt staff member Harper (Fred Hechinger, who is having a hell of a year with performances in “Thelma” and “Gladiator II”). Amidst the brutality, there is a glimmer of hope via Elwood’s relationship with his devoted grandmother. But even that suffers in the long run.
In addition to the audacious visual presentation of the film, the story also toys with time. Moving between the early 1960s and the early 2010s, we are led to believe that Elwood survived his imprisonment and has made a success of himself as an entrepreneur. The older Elwood has also become obsessed with news stories revealing the truth about the horrors that occurred at Nickel Academy. But, like the unexpected imagistic aspect of the film, “Nickel Boys” has even more surprises in store for the audience.
Rating: A-
