RaMell Ross could’ve done a straight adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel, The Nickel Boys, but anyone who saw his breakout documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening knew that would never be the case. Ross challenged traditional narratives by framing nearly the entire movie from a first-person perspective, putting us into the shoes of his characters and giving agency to Black stories the likes of which has rarely been seen.
Nickel Boys was adapted for the screen by Ross and Joslyn Barnes, and tells the story of teenage boys Elwood and Turner as they endure unimaginable abuses at the Nickel Academy, a brutal reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
I was fortunate to spend a few minutes talking with RaMell Ross about Nickel Boys. I was joined by the stars of his groundbreaking film, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, and Oscar winner Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. We talked about Ross’ decision to shoot the film from the characters’ perspectives, how it was for the actors to go against their training and break the fourth wall, and the importance of telling more stories like the one in Nickel Boys which is a fictional account of a real place, the infamous Dozier School for Boys.
Nickel Boys is open in theaters now. Check out the interviews below, and please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more!
