Novel adaptations are a dime-a-dozen in modern cinema, although, every now and then, one seems to catch the eye thanks to many declaring the source material 'unadaptable'. Colson Whitehead's novel The Nickel Boys, based on the Florida-based Dozier reform school that abused its young students for over 100 years, is one such book, considered such by those readers who saw each page as untouchably perfect and with a legacy best left untarnished. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020 and was even voted in TIME magazine's best books of the decade.
Well, against all odds, a movie adaptation of The Nickel Boys has arrived and managed to dutifully and beautifully pay homage to the source material with a film already considered a front-runner for the 2025 awards season. After a dazzling debut at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, Nickel Boys is now ready to release to the public in all its touching glory. So, without further ado, here's a look at exactly where and when you can watch Nickel Boys.
Is 'Nickel Boys' Streaming?
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
Currently, there is no official streaming release date for Nickel Boys. However, after pushing back the theatrical release date from October to December, it looks as if Amazon MGM Studios are looking to copy the successful release schedule of last year's Oscar winner, American Fiction. If the two follow the same trend, Nickel Boys will be available to stream on MGM+ first before heading to Prime Video.
For those without a subscription who will need one to see this novel brought to life, Prime Video can be purchased on its own for $8.99 per month or can be bundled with the rest of Amazon Prime for $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Ads can also be removed from the service for an additional $2.99 per month.
Yes! You can catch Nickel Boys in theaters as of Friday, December 13, 2024, although there's a catch. According to reports, Nickel Boys will open on this day exclusively in New York City, with a limited release then extended to Los Angeles on December 20. This is in keeping with the schedule given to American Fiction with the hope that Nickel Boys can maintain its positive momentum as the 2025 Academy Awards near. Nickel Boys will receive an even wider release on January 3, with international markets also likely to get a slice of this touching tale in early 2025.
Find Tickets For 'Nickel Boys'
Image via Amazon
If you're looking to see if Nickel Boys is playing in a theater near you, here are a selection of handy links:
Watch the 'Nickel Boys' Trailer
Released on September 5, 2024, the official trailer for Nickel Boys is available to watch above. Although much of the plot is kept hidden in this trailer - unless you're one of the many to have read the original novel - this short teaser introduces the viewer to perhaps the film's most eye-catching trait in its cinematography, with the movie shot in first-person POV. Already hailed as unique and a visionary masterpiece, Nickel Boys breaks visual boundaries in its delivery of a tale heartachingly relatable. With an impressive 87% certified fresh critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Nickel Boys is already proving hugely popular on its road to awards season, highlighted by the many gushing reviews the film has thus far received, including from Collider's own Ross Bonaime, who said in his review:
"Whitehead’s novel is not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, and telling this story from this view seems like an impossible way to make it an easier pill to swallow. Yet Ross and co-screenwriter
Joslyn Barnes
turn this into a film that doesn’t hold your hand and doesn’t shy away from the atrocities, yet is immensely captivating from beginning to end. Even though the story of Elwood and Turner is a dark one,
the moments of beauty hit even harder as these two find solace in each other
. It’s a tough road that’s a bit easier to walk because these two have each other.
All these pieces come together to form a tremendous film, one that deeply explores a history of resilience, pain, and hope through the eyes of those who suffered through the recent past. Ross has found an overwhelmingly perfect way to bring Whitehead’s story to the screen, one that feels like a step forward for how cinematic stories can be told. It’s beautiful, heart-wrenching, and refreshing in equal measure. Now,
Nickel Boys
is a masterpiece in two different formats
."
An official synopsis for Nickel Boys reads:
"Elwood Curtis's college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he's sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King's burnished oratory. Despite Nickel's brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner."
Your changes have been saved
Nickel Boys
Set in Jim Crow-era Florida, two Black teens, Elwood Curtis and Turner, endure the brutal conditions of Nickel Academy, a reformatory for boys. While Turner teaches survival through cynicism, Elwood clings to his belief in justice, despite the horrors around them. Their friendship offers a glimmer of hope amidst a backdrop of systemic racism and violence.
Release Date January 3, 2025
Director RaMell Ross
Cast Ethan Herisse , Brandon Wilson , Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor , Hamish Linklater , Fred Hechinger , Daveed Diggs , Luke Tennie , Sunny Mabrey , Gralen Bryant Banks , Sara Osi Scott , Rachel Whitman Groves , Escalante Lundy , LeBaron Foster Thornton , Ethan Cole Sharp , Najah Bradley , Mike Harkins , Jimmie Fails
Runtime 140 Minutes
Main Genre Drama
Writers RaMell Ross , Joslyn Barnes , Colson Whitehead
Character(s) Elwood , Turner , Hattie , Spencer , Harper , Adult Elwood , Griff , Mrs. Hardee , Blakeley , Millie , Nurse Scarlet , Earl , Larry , Young Elwood , Evelyn , Butcher , Mr. Hill
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
Image via Amazon MGM Studios 
Image via Amazon MGM Studios 
Image via Amazon 
English (US) ·