
Nickel Boys brings viewers into a world filled with a unique sense of nostalgia, but beyond the story, the film also has fascinating behind-the-scenes moments shared by its cast and crew.
In an interview with Variety, the film’s cinematographer, Jomo Fray, discussed his approach to capturing the film’s vision, which evolved under the direction of RaMell Ross. Fray, known for his work that brings out vulnerability, explained that Ross had a distinctive vision for the film, opting for a first-person point-of-view style that blurred the lines between the traditional roles on set.
“It wasn’t just about shooting Aunjanue [Ellis-Taylor] playing Hattie,” Fray said at the movie’s Los Angeles premiere. “When the camera was supposed to embody Elwood’s consciousness, operating it meant seeing the image not as Jomo, but as Elwood.” This perspective allowed the audience to feel more closely connected to the character’s inner world, blurring the lines between actor and audience.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays Hattie, Elwood’s grandmother, also shared her experience. Known for her work in films and TV, she admitted that she had once felt uneasy about working with cameras. However, during Nickel Boys, she had to push past that discomfort and allow the cameras to represent her character’s relationship with her grandson. “It was uncomfortable, difficult, and even frustrating at times,” Taylor confessed. “But it worked because those emotions were exactly what Hattie was going through.”
The film itself tells the heart-wrenching story of two young Black boys, Elwood and Turner, played by Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, as they face the brutal and dehumanizing realities of a reform school. Based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the 2020 book was adapted for the screen to bring this important and painful story to life, showing the struggles these boys endure while confronting injustice and trauma.
Both the behind-the-scenes insights and the film’s powerful themes make Nickel Boys an emotional and thought-provoking experience, highlighting the strength of the cast and crew in bringing such a poignant story to the screen.