Nickel Boys Stars Ethan Herisse & Brandon Wilson Reveal Their Reaction To Watching The Movie: "Hours Of Reflection Followed By A Fist Bump"

Nickel Boys is set in Jim Crow-era Florida. It follows two Black teens, Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), who are forced to endure the brutal conditions of Nickel Academy, which is 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.

The performances by Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson bring something special to the table. Without their chemistry, Nickel Boys does not work as well as it does. This is the first major feature film role for both Herisse and Wilson, but it certainly will not be the last. Nickel Boys is now playing in New York theaters and opens in Los Angeles on December 20. The movie also stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Daveed Diggs.

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ScreenRant interviewed Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson about Nickel Boys, which is based on a book that was inspired by a true story. They discussed what it was like filming in the very unique point-of-view style and their reactions to watching the completed film for the first time. Herisse and Wilson also spoke about forming their chemistry, which comes through so beautifully on screen.

Ethan Herisse Is Really Glad Nickel Boys Is Filmed POV Style

"I know that after I watched it for the first time, I kind of fist-pumped. Like, yeah, it worked. "

ScreenRant: The POV filming really makes this movie feel personal for viewers. Can you talk about the challenges of filming in this style?

Brandon Wilson: I remember we were just kind of thrust into it like the first day. We didn't, I mean, we knew it was gonna be POV, but we didn't really, neither of us, we've spoken about this, overly considered what that would look like, or what that process would be, until the first day we started. I remember the first scene that we did together. I think Ethan was sitting in the grass, or not Ethan, well, Ethan was, but also the camera operator was right there, and I was looking down at the camera, and then we did both sides of that. I think right after we did that scene, we were like, oh, okay, we need to explore these scenes more together before we go and stare down the lens so we can do this with more honesty and give more life to the lens, because this is different. Ethan Herisse: To be honest, I am really glad that we did that, because more and more we're hearing from the audience how they're being really pulled into scenes and into moments, and are able to really engage with the characters. And so I'm glad that that's the result, because when we're doing it, you have no idea what it's going to look like. You trust in RaMell, you trust in everyone that's putting so much love and hard work into what we're doing. But at the end of the day, you have no idea. So I know that after I watched it for the first time, I kind of fist pumped. Like, yeah, it worked. Like, that was really immersive and just an all encompassing experience. And so to hear that other audience members felt that way as well, and it's affecting them, and in that way, and in a multitude of ways, has been really, really cool.

ScreenRant: Brandon, what was your reaction when you first watched it?

Brandon Wilson: I wasn't fist pumping after I saw this movie. Ethan Herisse: It actually came after hours of reflection. Hours of reflection, followed by a fist bump. Brandon Wilson: Like Ethan was saying you have no idea how this is going to feel. I've never seen a movie where you're, as an audience member, where you're looking into the eyes this directly to the person on the screen. And the first time, it was disorienting a little bit, but also, at the end of it, I felt so, I was so surprised at how vulnerable I felt, and kind of tired as well. I saw it completely alone, which was kind of nice, because then I just wanted to be in silence. So I sat for a while, and then it just kept growing. I was like, Oh, that's a good movie. But also all the feelings still to explore that were in there, and it's very different the second time I saw it. It was a much more direct emotional effect. And I also got to kind of live in the world more. And then fist pump, yeah.

Chemistry Came Naturally For Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse In Nickel Boys

"While we were working together, our friendship was also growing."

ScreenRant: This movie doesn't really work without the believable chemistry between the two of you. Can you talk about forming that?

Brandon Wilson: Chemistry forms on its own. We had a chemistry read in LA, and that was the first time we had ever met. And it felt kind of natural and like there was an ease. And RaMell and them talk about it, they're like, they're seeing us, we're in the same room, and they're on Zoom, and they're watching us, and they're like asking each other if we had met before, like, how long we'd been friends. So I guess it looked like it was good and natural and immediate. Ethan Herisse: And then after that, we were able to just spend time together, and we're shooting in New Orleans. We would get food together, Waffle House. We would watch movies. We just were able to spend time getting to know each other as people. You're watching Elwood and Turner's friendship kind of progress and grow on screen. And while we were working together, our friendship was also growing. So it's a cool opportunity.

More About Nickel Boys (2024)

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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.

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Nickel Boys comes to theaters in New York on December 13 and Los Angeles on December 20.

Source: Screen Rant Plus