Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys
Nickel Boys
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	RaMell Ross
Screenplay by	RaMell Ross; Joslyn Barnes;
Based on	The Nickel Boys; by Colson Whitehead
Produced by	Dede Gardner; Jeremy Kleiner; David Levine; Joslyn Barnes;
Starring	Ethan Herisse; Brandon Wilson; Hamish Linklater; Fred Hechinger; Daveed Diggs; Jimmie Fails; Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor;
Cinematography	Jomo Fray
Edited by	Nicholas Monsour
Music by	Alex Somers; Scott Alario;
Production; companies	Orion Pictures; Plan B Entertainment; Anonymous Content; Louverture Films;
Distributed by	Amazon MGM Studios
Release dates	August 30, 2024 (Telluride); December 13, 2024 (United States);
Running time	140 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$23.2 million
Box office	$2.6 million

Nickel Boys is a 2024 American historical drama film based on the 2019 novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. It was directed by RaMell Ross, who wrote the screenplay with Joslyn Barnes. Starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Jimmie Fails, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, the story follows two African-American boys, Elwood (Herisse) and Turner (Wilson), who are sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. The film is inspired by the Dozier School for Boys, a now-closed Florida reform school notorious for its abusive treatment of students.

The film was shot from a first-person point-of-view, with filming taking place in Louisiana in late 2022. It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, and had a limited theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios on December 13, 2024. It was named one of the top 10 films of 2024 by the American Film Institute^[4] and received numerous accolades, including a Best Motion Picture – Drama nomination at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and a Best Picture nomination at the 97th Academy Awards.