I just watched Nickel Boys, and I have questions.
First of all, I walked out of this film absolutely wrecked. I think the choice to tell Elwood and Turner’s story in the first person really worked to deepen the on-screen experience. But as much as I liked it, I feel like, from the middle to the end, the film became more focused on showcasing that narrative technique than on fully developing the characters and their arc.
I could be wrong, of course—maybe it’s just a reaction to a new perspective in storytelling. But I digress.
Turner (Brandon Wilson) is magnetic, with a charm and humor that barely mask the deep scars he carries. Elwood is the embodiment of that lump in your throat when facing injustice, trapped in a situation where there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go.
But what I really need to talk about is Nanna Hattie, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. How in the fuck is she not nominated??? Her wisdom, her tenderness, the way she teaches.
And that last scene? The way she hugged Turner as if he were Elwood—the pain, the grief, fucking god.
She grabs you by the chest and makes you feel every ounce of her pain.
Honestly, what a snub. Unbelievable.
