How to watch Nickel Boys – is it streaming?
RaMell Ross's superb drama has landed a Best Picture nod at the Oscars.
As much as predicting the Oscar nominees has pretty much become a major industry in itself, every year there are a couple of surprises when the nominations are announced – and that was the case again this year.
One very pleasant surprise in the list was the inclusion of RaMell Ross's superb Nickel Boys in the Best Picture line-up, a film that was critically acclaimed and certainly one of the year's most audacious movies, but which had largely been expected to miss the cut.
Based on Colson Whitehead's novel of the same name about a racially segregated reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida, the film is a heartbreaking but beautifully made drama told in an incredibly unique way, unfolding entirely from the visual perspective of the two leads.
Wondering how to watch the film in light of its recent Best Picture nod? Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch Nickel Boys.
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How to watch Nickel Boys – is it streaming?
No – the film is not yet available for streaming, having only been released in UK cinemas at the start of January.
It was given a relatively limited theatrical release but is still showing in select UK cinemas, and for now, that is the only way to watch the film – fingers crossed its Best Picture nomination will increase the number of screenings!
The good news for those who want to watch it at home is that the film will eventually be available on Prime Video, as it is an Amazon MGM Studios production.
It remains to be seen when the release date will be, but we'll keep this page updated with all the latest news.
What is Nickel Boys about?
The film is based on the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, and follows an African-American teenager named Elwood who is wrongly implicated in a car theft and sent to a racially segregated reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida – where he strikes up a bond with fellow student Turner in the face of brutal treatment from the staff.
An official synopsis reads: "Elwood Curtis' college dreams are shattered when he's sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Clinging to his optimistic worldview, Elwood strikes up a friendship with Turner, a fellow Black teen who dispenses fundamental tips for survival."
Nickel Boys cast – who stars in the film?
The film is headed up by two relatively little known stars, with Ethan Herisse (When They See Us) taking on the lead role of Elwood and Brandon Wilson (The Way Back) starring as his friend Turner.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the film, the pair explained how watching the film back was a surreal experience given the radical approach to filming, with Herisse saying: "When I watched this movie, I didn't see any anyone – like when Brandon came up on screen, I was so immersed in the world that I wasn't seeing Brandon, I wasn't seeing myself, I wasn't seeing Aunjanue [Ellis-Taylor]. I was seeing these characters, and I was just really drawn into the world.
"And so much so that, like when the credits started rolling and I saw my name and Brandon's name, I started to cry, because I was like, ‘Oh, that was us. That was us the whole time.’ And it was like I was brought back into my body.
"And there were feelings. There were a lot of feelings that really sat, you know, in the stomach. But among those that I found out later definitely was pride, because it felt so special."
Hamilton star Daveed Diggs also appears in flash-forwards as an adult version of Elwood, while other names you might recognise from the cast include Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard) and Fred Hechinger (Gladiator II). You can find a full list below.
- Ethan Herisse as Elwood
- Ethan Cole Sharp as young Elwood
- Daveed Diggs as adult Elwood
- Brandon Wilson as Turner
- Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Hattie
- Hamish Linklater as Spencer
- Fred Hechinger as Harper
- Jimmie Fails as Mr. Hill
Nickel Boys trailer
If you're still on the fence about whether to watch the film, the trailer below might convince you to check it out:
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
