5. Nickel Boys  

Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross’s cinematic adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s powerful novel, has emerged as a strong contender. The film’s potential for a Best Picture win rests heavily on its impactful, award-winning cinematography, which masterfully conveys the oppressive atmosphere of the Dozier School. (It’s truly inexplicable how a movie shot this beautifully isn’t even nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars.) In telling the story of Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) and Jack Turner (Brandon Wilson), two Black boys in the Jim Crow South whose lives are irrevocably altered by their experiences at a brutal reform school, Nickel Boys captures an authenticity most of the other Best Picture nominees don’t come close to.

Its greatness hinges on the artful balance between historical authenticity and deeply human storytelling, capturing the brutal realities of the boys’ experiences at the school while never losing sight of the resilience that can blossom in even the darkest corners. The performances are infused with an honesty that brings the book’s evocative prose to life—every glance, every moment of silence, speaks volumes about the boys’ collective struggle for dignity and freedom. By interweaving past and present, Nickel Boys forces audiences to confront how the echoes of systemic injustice can still reverberate today, ultimately delivering a cinematic experience that is equal parts harrowing, empathetic, and deeply necessary. Let’s see if The Academy is ready.