Courtesy of ORION PICTURESNickel Boys, based on Colson Whitehead’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, tells the gripping story of two Black teenagers navigating the horrors of a reform school in the Jim Crow South. The drama, directed by RaMell Ross, opened in select theaters in December.The film follows Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), an optimistic teenager whose dreams of going to college are crushed when he’s sent to Nickel Academy after innocently catching a ride with a car thief. There, he meets Turner (Brandon Wilson), a fellow student who helps him survive the institution’s daily abuse. Set during the Civil Rights Movement, the boys’ friendship becomes a source of resilience and hope in the face of systemic cruelty.View full post on YoutubeSpeaking to Vulture, Ross described his vision for the film: “I thought POV. I thought poetry. I thought archival. It came pretty fast, because the way I entered the book aligned so much with my aesthetic values.” His use of point-of-view filmmaking immerses viewers in the characters’ experiences, creating what Ross calls “a type of psychological double consciousness, where you’re both in it and on the outside of it.”The cast includes Ethan Herisse, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Ross noted the significance of working with the cast, saying, “They were, I think, deeply enthusiastic to be part of a production that was predominantly Black.”Eric Charbonneau//Getty ImagesThe film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August. The New York Times praised Ross’s ability to “cradle the characters in soft, beautiful light, even as the story turns unbearably cruel.” ELLE also highlighted the film as one of the best of 2024. After being nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama at the 82nd Annual Golden Globes, Nickel Boys went on to earn two Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay.Nickel Boys will begin streaming on MGM+ on February 28 at 8 P.M., just two days ahead of the Academy Awards. Plans start at $6.99 per month, after a seven-day free trial, for an ad-free subscription.Subscribe to MGM+In the meantime, you can rent or purchase the film digitally on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV+.Watch on Prime VideoWatch on Apple TV+You can also still enjoy Nickel Boys in theaters.Get Tickets