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Jason Statham, Naomi Ackie, and Liam Neeson lead this week’s standout MGM+ titles.

MGM+ might not be the first app you open when you’re scrolling for something to watch — but it’s quietly stacked with solid movies right now. If the name doesn’t sound familiar, you might know it by its old one: Epix. The service got a rebrand, a sleeker look, and a sharper focus on big movies, original series, and classic MGM hits. So if you’re looking for your next movie night pick, here are seven of the best movies streaming on MGM+ right now.

Top 7 movies streaming on MGM+ right now:

No. 7: ‘Nickel Boys’

No. 6: ‘September 5’

No. 5: ‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’

No. 4: ‘The Beekeeper’

No. 3: ‘Blink Twice’

No. 2: ‘Gladiator II’

No. 1: ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’

7-Day Free Trial $6.99+ / month via amazon.com No.

“Carry-On” was a huge hit for Netflix. “Nickel Boys” earned Oscar nominations. And now “Sinners” has opened to rave reviews. These three very different films share one common bond, says Brittany Chandler, director of Film New Orleans. They all shot in and around New Orleans.

“Sinners” reportedly spent more than $65 million on location in Louisiana. Yet all that success was jeopardized last fall when Louisiana’s governor, Jeff Landry, backed by the state’s House of Representatives, moved to eliminate the state’s film tax credits. That would have dealt a devastating blow to an industry still trying to regain its footing in the state after the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023.

Back in 2002, Louisiana had been the pioneering state in tax incentives; it had worked so well that about half the parishes in the state had hosted a film or TV crew in the subsequent five years. So everyone from...

There’s no single path to becoming a great actor. Whether one trains through Meisner, Stanislavski, Stella Adler, or Uta Hagen, every performer eventually discovers what works for them. Still, some principles seem to resonate across disciplines.

Over the years, IndieWire has spoken with rising stars and established talents about the mindset required not only to break into acting, but to sustain a meaningful career. Here, David Alvarez (“West Side Story”), Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”), Ts Madison (“Bros”), and others share what they’ve learned about committing to the craft and finding purpose in performance.

David Alvarez: Passion Is Essential, Obsession Is Not ‘West Side Story,’ David Alvarez©20th Century Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

One of the youngest performers to win the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Alvarez had a pretty good launching pad for a career in acting, yet instead committed himself to multiple paths. He trained in classical piano,...

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This April, we are getting a ton of content from the much-anticipated return of The Last of Us and Andor on streaming to the release of some of the most-anticipated movies of this year, such as The Accountant 2 and Sinners. This upcoming month will see the release of many great movies, so we thought of compiling a list of all the best movies that are coming straight to streaming.

Y2K (Max) Release Date: April 4, 2025 Credit – A24

Y2K is an apocalyptic sci-fi comedy film directed by Kyle Mooney, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Evan Winter. The 2024 film is set on the last night of 1999, and it follows a group of high school juniors who crash a party but soon find themselves trying to survive the horrors of Y2K. It stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler,...

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor holds onto Brandon Wilson while arriving for the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday (March 2) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

The Nickel Boys stars were also joined on the carpet by co-star Ethan Herisse.

Also in attendance was their director RaMell Ross, who walked separately.

Nickel Boys is nominated at the Oscars tonight in two categories – Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. The latter was already announced, and was won by Conclave.

The Oscars will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien for the first time and the show is airing live on ABC and Hulu. The movie Emilia Perez leads the nominations with 13 nods, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 each. Make sure to check out the full list of nominations and find out who is performing during the show!

Fyi: Aunjanue is wearing Sterling Forever earrings.

Check out more photos of the Nickel Boys stars arriving at the Oscars in the gallery…...

Exclusive: Lifetime has given a green light to A Sorority Mom’s Guide to Rush (working title), a new unscripted series from Bama Rush producer Vice Studios. It’s set for premiere later this year on Lifetime.

Each hourlong episode in A Sorority Mom’s Guide to Rush (wt) chronicles “the most high-stakes time in a college-bound girl’s life, Sorority Rush,” according to the logline.

Rush has become a global social media phenomenon off the heels of #BamaRush (aka sorority recruitment week at the University of Alabama), with the hashtag acculumating 2.6 billion views on TikTok as of May 2023. Vice Studios was behind the Bama Rush documentary that aired on Max in 2023.

In A Sorority Mom’s Guide to Rush viewers will follow hopeful teens’ journeys to join Greek Life, and of course, their moms.

Per the logline: “The series follows along as they go through the grueling application process,...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Despite being one of 10 movies nominated for Best Picture, Nickel Boys has largely flown under the radar, in part due to the low-key rollout that has kept it in a limited number of theaters. Whether you were a fan of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2020 novel or simply want to catch every Best Picture release before the Oscars, here’s what you need to know about streaming Nickel Boys.

How...

The 2025 NAACP Image Awards honored the best in Black excellence for the past year and we have the full list of winners!

The awards were given out across several nights with the main ceremony held on Saturday night (February 22) at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif.

The show, hosted by Deon Cole, aired live on CBS.

Keke Palmer won the Entertainer of the Year award and Outstanding Motion Picture went to The Six Triple Eight, with the film’s star Kerry Washington also taking home the Best Actress prize.

Make sure to check out our recap of all the celebs who walked the red carpet.

Head inside to check out the complete list of winners…

Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…

Entertainer of the Year

Cynthia Erivo

Keke Palmer – Winner

Kendrick Lamar

Kevin Hart

Shannon Sharpe

Outstanding Social Media Personality of the Year

Kai Cenat

Keith Lee...

Indie movies are getting the spotlight at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards and we’re recapping all of the celebs who showed up on the red carpet!

The afternoon awards show is being held on Saturday (February 22) at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.

SNL‘s Aidy Bryant is hosting the show for the second year in a row and you can live stream the event on YouTube. Anora and I Saw the TV Glow lead the film nominations with five nods each while Shogun leads the television nominations with five nods as well.

We’ll be keeping track of every celeb in attendance at the event and showing you all of the fashion on the red carpet.

Head inside to see all of the celebs who walked the red carpet…

Keep scrolling to see all of the celebs who walked the red carpet…

Elizabeth Olsen

Fyi: Elizabeth is wearing Erdem.

Beyoncé and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter were among the winners during Night 2 of the 2025 NAACP Image Awards preshow ceremonies.

On the heels of her record-breaking night at the Grammys earlier this month, Beyoncé was named best female artist and also won best album for Cowboy Carter. Blue Ivy, meanwhile, won the award for best character voiceover performance in a film for her role in Mufasa: The Lion King.

Three other recent Grammy winners also were honored with NAACP Image Awards on Wednesday: Kendrick Lamar won best hip-hop/rap song for “Not Like Us,” Doechii was named best new artist, and Chris Brown won best male artist and best international song for “Hmmm” feat. Davido.

Elsewhere, Wicked won for best costume design, Emilia Pérez was named best international film and Nickel Boys was recognized for its cinematography. Star Wars: The Acolyte won best score for film/TV.

Malcolm Washington won...

Hollywood’s biggest night isn’t just about shiny trophies and emotional speeches; it’s also packed with drama behind the scenes. And this year, an anonymous Academy voter just dropped some wild insider tea.

Adrien Brody in The Pianist | Credits: Universal Pictures

Apparently, Adrien Brody’s The Brutalist wasn’t the best pick — it was just the only pick. Why? Because a way better 2024 film tackling America’s racist past didn’t even get a nomination.

Did Nickel Boys’ snub hand The Brutalist the Best Picture crown? Herisse as Elwood Curtis in Nickel Boys | Credits: Amazon MGM Studios

Adrien Brody’s The Brutalist was the clear pick for Best Picture — yeah, but only because Nickel Boys didn’t make the cut.

That’s the word from an anonymous Academy member, and honestly? They might have a point. RaMell Ross’ powerful adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel landed a Best...

Counted among the films nominated for Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards, ‘Nickel Boys’ directed by RaMell Ross, is a harrowing, but beautiful portrait of the lives of two young black teens with contrasting upbringings and beliefs who are living in an infamous reformation school. With unique visual language, greatly subdued performances, and a devastating conclusion, ‘Nickel Boys’ positions itself as deserving of its received awards nominations, if not deserving of more than it has or will be given. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy. The School of...

Keke Palmer, Aaron Pierre and Anthony Mackie hit the red carpet outside the 7th Annual American Black Film Festival Honors on Monday (February 17) in Los Angeles.

The stars were just a few who attended the event at the Sls Hotel. The annual gala pays tribute to some of the best contributions to the motion picture and television industry.

Keke was honored with the Renaissance Award, and Aaron received the Rising Star Award. Anthony presented the Excellence in the Arts Award to his Captain America: Brave New World costar Giancarlo Esposito.

Keep reading to find out more…

Others in attendance included the likes of Yvette Nicole Brown, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Tika Sumpter, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Yvonne Orji, Cory Hardict and Laranze Tate with wife Tomasina Parrott. We’ve got all of the photos in the gallery!

If you missed it, Keke recently revisited a viral moment with Usher from 2023.

Scroll...

We have some suggestions if you’re looking for an awards contender to watch on streaming or video on demand this weekend. Our list of movies includes a Best Picture nominee top pick that recently became available for home viewing; two other Oscar-nominated new releases, one on streaming and one on VOD; a movie that wasn’t nominated for an Oscar but could have been; and a past Oscar nominee that would make for a nice double feature with the top pick.

Top pick: Nickel Boys

Director RaMell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ross and co-writer Joslyn Barnes. It’s a coming-of-age story about two Black adolescents, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), at an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida, and what they do to get by and get out. It’s shot from a first-person perspective,...

“I think about the film as a place to do, as I like to say, make an experiential monument,” says Nickel Boys director/co-writer RaMell Ross of the Oscar-nominated the Florida-set Jim Crow-era drama adapted from Colson Whitehead’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

“To elevate your schoolboy story to a place of historical reckoning for an audience where you guys have an experience that’s like, as visceral as you smelling something, smelling the air after a storm, or you rolling in the grass or feeling the sun on your skin,” the filmmaker asserted. “Where it’s something you try to explain to someone and they’re like, dude, you were just rolling in the grass and you’re like, but you don’t understand.”

With acclaimed actors Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson onstage with him and Deadline Executive Editor Dominic Patten moderating, Ross was speaking on...

There is so much to unpack in RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” (2024) that it is hard to do justice with words. It is poetic and poignant as it blends historical fiction with a coming-of-age tale and a bruising prison drama. Although it revolves around two teenagers, it emerges as a collective portrait of an entire generation that struggled through the Jim Crow era. The film primarily follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a 17-year-old bright student, who seeks a higher education and hopes for a secure future. His doting grandmother motivates him in the same direction until one day when he finds himself in trouble.

While on his way to class, Elwood gets offered a car ride. He naively accepts the offer only to realize something shocking about it. Soon, he gets sentenced to Nickel Academy, a ruthless reformatory in Southern America. His dreams get shattered as he finds himself being forced to...

Amazon MGM’s powerful drama Nickel Boys, based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is set to make its digital debut. The Oscar-nominated film, which had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival before a limited theatrical release in December 2024, has garnered critical acclaim for its harrowing portrayal of injustice. Here’s everything you need to know about when and where you can stream Nickel Boys online.

What is Nickel Boys About?

Nickel Boys is inspired by the true story of the infamous Dozier School for Boys, a reform school in Florida known for its brutal treatment of students. The film follows Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), two African-American boys navigating the horrors of the Nickel Academy in the 1960s. As Elwood clings to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings, Turner adopts a more cynical approach to survival—forcing both to make impossible choices in a deeply unjust system.

RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes will receive the Writers Guild of America West’s 2025 Paul Selvin Award for their work as the screenwriters of Nickel Boys, the Amazon MGM Studios drama they adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning book.

The honor will be bestowed during the guild’s WGA Awards on February 15 at the Beverly Hilton.

The award, named for the former Wgaw general counsel and given each year to a member or members whose script best embodies the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties, is the latest for the film and the duo. Ross made his narrative feature directorial debut for with the pic, which was nominated for a pair of Oscars: for the screenplay and for Best Picture.

Nickel Boys follows Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), a high school student wrongfully convicted of a crime and sent to the Nickel Academy reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida,...

Of all the Best Picture nominees at this year's Academy Awards, it's possible that director RaMell Ross' Nickel Boys is the most distinct. Adapted from Colson Whitehead's novel, Ross' film tracks two African-American boys, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), who are sent to an abusive juvenile reform school during the 1960s. Both the film and the book are partially based on the real-life horrors of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, a Florida reform school where abuse, torture, and even murder went on for decades unimpeded. Ross tracks the boys' poignant and heart-breaking journey by making their eyes the audience's eyes, as Nickel Boys presents its story from a first-person point-of-view that bounces back and forth between the two characters. The audience only sees what they see.

Exclusive: WME has promoted Mike DeVeau to partner in the agency’s talent department. He represents a diverse roster of actors, filmmakers, and creatives across film and TV who have achieved a range of commercial and critical success.

One of DeVeau’s major achievements included closoing the deal for Felicity Jones’ role in The Brutalist, for which she is nominated for the supporting actress Oscar, and her upcoming roles in Oh. What. Fun. for Amazon MGM Studios and Train Dreams which just sold to Netflix following its Sundance premiere. He represents past Oscar winners and nominees Riz Ahmed, Angelina Jolie, and Ben Affleck.

DeVeau also closed the deals for Ahmed to star in Alejandro Iñárritu’s next feature for Warner Bros/Legendary, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme and Prime Video series Quarterlife, which he will also write and EP. DeVeau closed Jolie’s deal to next star in Alice Winocour’s Stitches,...

Atención: no pasará por cines y llegará directamente a streaming. © Amazon Studios

La esperadísima película Nickel Boys, de RaMell Ross, nominada a la Mejor Película y al Mejor Guion Adaptado en los Premios Óscar 2025, por fin tiene fecha de estreno en España. Pero, ojo: no veremos la película en las salas de cine. En su lugar, estará disponible directamente en streaming. Algo que ya ocurrió en su momento con Saltburn o American Fiction.

Basada en la novela homónima de Colson Whitehead, ganadora del Premio Pulitzer, Nickel Boys nos transporta a la Florida de los años 60, donde dos adolescentes negros, después de ser enviados a la despiadada Academia Nickel, encuentran consuelo y esperanza en su amistad frente a la violencia, el abuso y el racismo de la época.

La película está protagonizada por Ethan Herisse (Así nos ven), Brandon Wilson (The Way Back), Hamish Linklater (Misa de medianoche), Fred Hechinger (Gladiator...

The 2025 Oscar nominations are finally here, and this year’s Best Picture nominees form an eclectic group of titles. That’s fitting for a year that offered as many diverse surprises and delights at the theater and on streaming as 2024 did. 2025’s Best Picture nominees are also noteworthy because none of them are shorter than 2 hours long. That means that, regardless of whether you still need to check off all of this year’s nominees or just a few, you’ll have to invest quite a bit of time if you want to watch all of them before the Oscars airs on Sunday, March 2.

To help you prepare for your Oscar viewing needs, here’s exactly how long every Best Picture nominee is this year, listed from shortest to longest.

“Conclave” (Focus Features) “Conclave”

“Conclave’s” Best Picture nomination may not have come as a shock to many, but it...

On Thursday, documentary filmmaker RaMell Ross scored his first feature film nomination—Ross was previously nominated in 2018 for his documentary film Hale County This Morning, This Evening—for Nickel Boys in Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. The historical drama, based on Colson Whitehead’s book of the same name, chronicles the deep friendship between two teenagers (Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson) who have to overcome the shocking brutality and horrific discriminatory regulations of a Florida reform school in the Jim Crow South.

Below, Deadline talks to Ross about his nomination and the making of the film.

Deadline: Where were you when you found out that you received your nominations?

Ramell Ross: You know, people say [it’s just] me, but there are a lot of people who helped with this film. We have a huge team that has been out there hitting the pavement for Nickel Boys. However, I was on...

How do the 2025 Oscars Best Picture nominees stack up on Rotten Tomatoes? And does the film with the highest freshness rating have a better shot at winning the big prize?

While critics’ scores don’t determine the Best Picture lineup (there are thousands of highly rated movies each year), once the lineup is selected by the Motion Picture Academy, there are at least a few tea leaves worth reading. For instance, the only film to win Best Picture in the last 10 years with a freshness rating lower than 90 percent is Green Book, which has a Tomatometer score of just 77 percent.

Last year’s winner, Oppenheimer, holds a formidable 93 percent, but it didn’t rank first among it’s competitors. That distinction went to The Holdovers, which has a rating of 97 percent. So, a movie doesn’t have to have the highest score to win Best Picture, but it certainly helps its chances.

Now that the Golden Globes are over, the official Oscar race is set to begin! On January 23rd the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce this year’s nominees, with the 97th Oscars Ceremony scheduled to happen on March 2nd. So before the committee announces their list for the Best Picture category, let’s predict 5 films on the list.

A screengrab of the Oscars thumbnail | image: YouTube/Clanhold Cinema

While The Brutalist, The Substance, Anora, A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Wicked, and Emilia Pérez are already believed to be the Oscar front-runner for the Best Picture category, we’ve 5 films that took people by surprise with their potential to win an Oscar nod. So let’s check out the list below and wait to see if the films ultimately qualify as nominees.

5. Conclave

Director: Edward Berger

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

Streaming: Peacock,...

There’s no obvious 2025 Oscars frontrunner like last year’s “Oppenheimer” (Universal). This year, that studio’s blockbuster stage-to-screen musical “Wicked” will be one of 10 lauded frontrunners duking it out for Best Picture.

Another musical, the Spanish-language French Oscar entry “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix), is poised to dominate the delayed Oscar nominations announcement on January 23 with 12 nods, by my estimation, followed by papal thriller “Conclave” (Focus Features) with 10, and “The Brutalist” (A24), a post-World War II drama about an émigré architect (Adrien Brody) produced for under $10 million, with nine. All display the scale, scope, and ambition of a potential Oscar winner.

Based on the hit stage musical, “Wicked” should nab eight nominations and boasts more stateside support and a SAG Ensemble nod, as does “Emilia Pérez,” which also won five European Film Awards (including Best Film) and four Golden Globes including Best Comedy/Musical, and scored 11 BAFTA nominations to “Wicked’s” seven.

Even if you haven’t seen “Nickel Boys,” the film adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel, you’ve likely heard how it was shot from first-person perspective of its two protagonists. Director RaMell Ross and cinematographer Jomo Fray filmed scenes in uninterrupted shots as if the audience is moving (the camera sometimes physically attached to the actor), listening, and watching through the perspective of Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson). The ground-breaking approach to filming, which Ross dubbed “sentient Pov,” meant an equally radical approach to editing. No longer was the audience in its familiar seat of omniscient spectator, denying the editor the ability to crosscut and seamlessly switch perspectives across the action. “Nickel Boys” editor Nicholas Monsour told IndieWire he had to “unlearn” years of what had become second nature when editing traditional scripted narrative projects, most notably for Jordan Peele.

“It was letting go of stuff I...

Brandon Wilson stars as Turner in director RaMell Ross’s Nickel Boys, from Orion Pictures. Photo credit: Courtesy of Orion Pictures. © 2024 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Artist-turned-director RaMell Ross’ beautiful, innovative, and moving adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Nickel Boys is an immersive, emotional experience that uses a Pov camera to put you into the first-person experience of two young Black boys, Elwood and Turner, and the bonds of friendship that grow between them after they meet at a Jim Crow-era reform school in Florida, a brutal place known as the Nickel Academy.

Although this is RaMell Ross’ first film, the artist’s directorial debut is strong, showing an unexpected mastery of cinematic art. Nickel Boys is a remarkable film, a moving human drama about childhood friendship in the Jim Crow South between two very different Black boys who nonetheless form a powerful bond. Scenes have a painterly beauty,...

RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” unearths the haunting realities of two boys, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), as they navigate a brutal reform school, blending visceral storytelling with an experimental approach.

In adapting Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, production designer Nora Mendis explains Ross’ vision came from a conceptual place. She says, “It was more about looking at contemporary artists, photos, content and what the justice system means throughout history.” Mendis adds, “Our conversations were based in a higher space of art, and he would trust us to go and do what we would do.”

Throughout the film, which is now in theaters, Ross uses archival footage to juxtapose Elwood and Turner’s abusive experience at Nickel Academy with the social and technological advances of the ‘60s, like the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race.

He tells the story though, through a first-person point of view. “’Point-of-view’ was a term we dropped.

Nickel Boys is the film of 2024. It’s expansive yet accessible. It’s violent yet pierced with seconds of warmth. It’s an adaptation that expands Colson Whitehead’s novel, a visual experience that hedges on the audience’s openness, on a person’s willingness to see the world in another form. In director RaMell Ross’s own words, “It’s not intimate. It’s close.”

Shot with a first-person perspective, Ross’ first narrative feature––following his Oscar-nominated debut documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening––follows two Black teenagers as they survive the Nickel Academy, an abusive reform school in Florida. Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson) provide the eyes for this film, which often feels like a collection of moments in one’s life, from an orange rolling out of reach to the trees swaying above, from a hug from your grandmother to the first glimpse of...

Nickel Boys is an example of what's possible within the filmmaking medium. The story, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys, is grounded in the historic Dozier School, a devastatingly abusive reform school that operated in the Jim Crow south. The subject matter is already impactful, to say the least. Director RaMell Ross leaned on his background in photography and documentary filmmaking to find truly innovative ways to bring audiences into this horrifying reality.

We asked him about what led to the very specific and bold choices, like the use of long unbroken takes or 'oners,' the choice to shoot in the 4:3 aspect ratio, to film the entire story from a character's point of view, and on and on. Ross explained:

"If it's always full of intent, it seems to be justifiable, even if it doesn't work out to be something that feels incredible. The point of view [shots], the oners,...

Netflix’s The Piano Lesson scooped up a whopping 14 nominations to lead the way for the 56th NAACP Image Awards announced Tuesday, with Peacock’s limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist topping the TV categories with nine bids. The five luminaries competing for the coveted Entertainer of the Year honor are Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart, and sports-talk host Shannon Sharpe.

Based on August Wilson’s play, The Piano Lesson’s nominations include honors for Outstanding Motion Picture, director (Malcolm Washington) and actors John David Washington, Corey Hawkins, Samuel L. Jackson, and Danielle Deadwyler. In the top movied category, it’s joined by Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Bob Marley: One Love, Wicked, and The Six Triple Eight. Nominated for Best Independent Film are Albany Road, Exhibiting Forgiveness, Rob Peace, Sing Sing, and We Grown Now.

The nominees for Best International Film include El lugar de la otra,...

Back in November, we here at JoBlo received a pretty intriguing invitation. We were invited to Los Angeles to get an early look at Nickel Boys, a film based on the novel by Colson Whitehead. Directed by RaMell Ross, the movie’s gotten a ton of Oscar buzz, both for its director and the movie’s stars, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. In it, Herisse and Wilson play Elwood and Turner, two young men sentenced to a reformatory in the Jim Crow-era South. Once there, they realize there’s a good chance they won’t live through their respective sentences, with the punishment inflicted on them far outweighing the petty crimes they’re supposed to have committed.

It’s undoubtedly one of the boldest movies of the year, with it shot entirely in a first-person point of view, where the camera literally takes the place of Herisse and...

Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe have been nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the 56th NAACP Image Awards, the NAACP announced on Tuesday.

The NAACP announced nominees in 91 categories in the fields of film, television and streaming, recording, documentary, writing, directing, literary, podcast, stunts and costume design, makeup and hairstyling.

The August Wilson adaptation “The Piano Lesson” led all films with 14 nominations, more than double the total for runner-ups “The Book of Clarence,” “Nickel Boys,” “Exhibiting Forgiveness” and “Bob Marley: One Love,” which received six if you count the nominations for “Clarence” and “Bob Marley” in the music categories.

“Piano Lesson” nominees included director Malcolm Washington, recognized in two categories, as well as cast members John David Washington, Corey Hawkins, Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler and Skylar Aleece Smith.

Malcolm and John David Washington’s father, Denzel Washington, made it a true family...

Netflix’s The Piano Lesson tuned up a leading 14 nominations for the 56th annual NAACP Image Awards, which were revealed this morning. TriStar’s The Book of Clarence is next with six noms, and Peacock’s Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist topped TV programs with nine mentions.

Netflix leads all networks and distributors with 64 nominations. See the full list below.

“Our Stories, Our Culture, Our Excellence” is the theme of the 2025 Image Awards, which span film, TV, music, literature, podcasts, social media and more. Winners will be revealed February 21 at the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors ceremonies and February 22 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The latter will air on BET and CBS, live in the East starting at 8 p.m. Et and delayed at in the West at 8 p.m. Pt.

Based on August Wilson’s play, The Piano Lesson scooped noms including Outstanding Motion Picture, Director for Malcolm Washington and multiple actors.

The Nickel Boys breakout star is finding light in the darkest stories.

Acting wasn’t the first career choice for Ethan Herisse, the 24-year-old star of powerful historical drama Nickel Boys. In fact, when he was growing up in Massachusetts, he imagined a future on a court shooting hoops. “I was going to be a basketball player,” he recalls, but there was one problem. “I was not good.” When his younger sister, then participating in pageants, was approached to take part in acting workshops, Herisse tagged along and quickly discovered his real passion.

At age 11, his parents asked him if he wanted to pursue acting seriously. The answer was a no-brainer. “For them to hear that from an 11-year-old, and have enough faith in me that young to completely uproot their lives because I said that that was my dream...” he trails off in disbelief. His family moved to Los Angeles,...

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the scripts behind awards season’s buzziest film continues with Nickel Boys, the feature directing debut of Oscar-nominated Hale County This Morning, This Evening filmmaker RaMell Ross, who with longtime collaborator Joslyn Barnes adapted Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-wining 2019 novel.

Orion Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios debuted the film at the Telluride Film Festival at the end of summer and its has been racking up awards recognition ever since, including Best Picture nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, Independent Spirit Awards and the Gotham Awards, where Ross won Best Director and co-star Brandon Wilson won Breakthrough Performer.

Ross and Barnes’ adapted screenplay has also been nominated for several honors especially among critics groups this season, as has Jomo Fray’s cinematography, which has drawn raves for its use of an unconventional Pov that, according to Ross, is designed to make the viewer a character.

Chicago – America’s “Jim Crow” era … the systemic period of white supremacy by legal means against black Americans … continues to yield horror stories of institutional inhumanity. One such story is in a new film, based on a popular novel, entitled “Nickel Boys, which is co-adapted and directed by RaMell Ross.

‘Nickel Boys,’ Directed by RaMell Ross (inset)

Photo credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Based on the novel by Colson Whitehead, “Nickel Boys” takes place in 1962 during Jim Crow in Florida, as a teenage black male named Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is falsely accused by authorities as being an accomplice to stealing a car. He is sent to a segregated reform school called Nickel Academy … a fictionalized version of the real Florida Dozier School for Boys. While there, he forms a close friendship with a boy named Turner (Brandon Wilson) as they try to survive the abuse by the school and its corrupt administrators.

RaMell Ross has something to say. With his latest film, “Nickel Boys,” the co-writer and director solidifies his reputation as one of contemporary cinema’s most daring storytellers. Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the film unearths the haunting realities of a fictionalized reform school, blending visceral storytelling with an experimental approach that has captured the attention of cinephiles.

Known for his Academy Award-nominated documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” Ross’ unique lens, challenges the conventions of how stories about Black lives are told — and received. In a candid conversation on the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Ross reflects on the symbolism in “Nickel Boys,” the film industry’s treatment of Black stories, his dream collaborators, and the surprising possibility of working on a Marvel movie.

Listen below:

Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, “Nickel Boys” (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Ross describes “Nickel Boys,” which had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival,...

Nickel Boys

Enjoying nominations in almost every major set of awards this season, RaMell Ross’ bold and experimental adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Nickel Boys is one of those rare works that really tries to do something different with cinema. It opened last year’s New York Film Festival and on 3 January it will be on cinema screens all across the UK.

Inspired by real events, the film follows the story of two African American boys, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson), who meet in a brutal reform school. I recently had the privilege of attending a Q&a session in which RaMell – also known for 2018’s remarkable Hale County This Morning, This Evening – spoke about the film, his approach to his craft, and influences such as the legendary photojournalist Gordon Parks.

“I love Gordon Parks,” he said. “What an influence he's had on culture at large! He popularised [the.

With a role in the Oscar-tipped reform school drama, the actor continues to pick parts that align with her activism. She recalls how the resilience of her grandmother – and the racism faced by her grandfather – has shaped her

There is a scene in Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s new film in which she gives a hug unlike any other hug you’ll see on screen. The film is Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s 2019 novel based on the real-life horror of Florida’s Dozier School for Boys, with Ellis-Taylor playing Hattie, the grandmother of Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a boy incarcerated there. In the scene, she is prevented from visiting her much-missed grandson, but encounters a friend of his (Brandon Wilson), who becomes a kind of emotional proxy.

What makes this hug so special, though, is not just the intensity of the human moment, but the way it exemplifies the power of the first-person perspective,...

2024 saw its fair share of ups and downs in cinema with several gems surfacing over the year. As the year winds down it is time to look back and reflect on 2024’s best movies and former US President Barack Obama is doing just that. Obama recently took to social media and shared a list of his favorite movies of the year.

Barack Obama recently named his favorite 2024 movies (Credit: CBS News).

Obama singled out the opulent Dune 2, a major commercial success, and the Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine as Light as some of the best cinema the year had to offer. However, the former President missed out on some absolute masterpieces that impressed fans. Here are five 2024 films that you must also check out.

5. A Real Pain Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain is a masterful comedy (Credit: Searchlight Pictures).

A Real Pain is a buddy-comedy movie...

Jomo Fray can pinpoint the day when the bold idea of “first-person perspective” truly clicked.

The Brooklyn-based cinematographer and his director, RaMell Ross, had spent months discussing, studying, and experimenting for the filming of “Nickel Boys.” Based on Colson Whitehead’s novel, the movie is shot almost entirely through the eyes of its main characters, Elwood and Turner (played by Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson), two young Black men at an inhumane reform school in Florida.

The eureka moment came during a scene when Elwood’s grandmother (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) visits the school to deliver bad news to her grandson. “I was the camera operator for that scene,” said Fray. “And as she was building up the courage to tell Elwood something devastating, I looked away. I find it very difficult to look a person in the eyes when I know they’re telling me something that’s difficult for them.

There might not be anything else like RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys. Adapting the 2019 novel by Colson Whitehead, Ross finds an unorthodox approach here: extrapolating the book’s third-person narrative into a first-person point-of-view, the camera almost entirely presenting the action as through the eyes of its protagonists. Think Peep Show, but as a serious and urgent drama.

It follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a young idealist living in Jim Crow-era Florida. Under false accusations, he’s sent to the Nickel Academy for Boys, a “correction school” — in reality a prison by any other name, complete with the exploitation of its inmates as free labour. While there, Elwood befriends another young man named Turner (Brandon Wilson), who has a much more cynical outlook on freedom for African-Americans or any potential of escaping the school itself.

The camerawork becomes a way of illustrating a character’s thoughts without narration, and with an immediacy that feels unprecedented.

When actors Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson were getting ready to film “Nickel Boys,” they had no hesitation getting onboard with director RaMell Ross’s vision of telling the story through their characters’ literal point of view, the only slight concern in the back of their minds was “I hope my friends and family don’t hear this and are like, ‘Oh, wait, so you’re not in the movie?’,” said Herisse over breakfast in the corner of a restaurant within a West Hollywood hotel.

Wilson’s mother’s reaction was more explicitly concerned, with the actor having done a found footage film not too long before “Nickel Boys” where “I was very much the cameraman for a lot of it,” he said. His response to his mom: “I’m not sure, but it’s probably going to be good, though.”

Needless to say, the Orion Pictures release, now in select theaters nationwide,...

RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys and Malcolm Washington’ The Piano Lesson dominated the nominations for the 25th Black Reel Awards with 13 and 12 noms, respectively. The films will square off in 10 categories including Outstanding Film, Director, Screenplay and Ensemble.

Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness is next with nine nominations, followed by Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice with seven. See the full list spanning 22 categories below.

Winners will be honored during the silver anniversary ceremony held virtually on February 10 and streaming live on BlackReelAwards.com.

Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

“As we commemorate 25 years, we are proud to highlight the transformative power of Black cinema,” Black Reel Awards Founder Tim Gordon said. “This year’s nominees represent not only excellence in storytelling but also groundbreaking achievements that push boundaries and elevate our culture.”

Presented by Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film, the Black...

“Nickel Boys” leads the nominations at the 25th annual Black Reel Awards, a ceremony exclusively dedicated to recognizing African American contributions to cinema.

The Amazon MGM Studios film garnered 13 nominations, followed closely by Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson” with 12; both films were nominated for outstanding film and outstanding director, plus their stars earned individual nods.

Rounding out the best film nominees are “Challengers,” “Exhibiting Forgiveness” and “Sing Sing” and joining Ross and Washington in the outstanding director category are Titus Kaphar (“Exhibiting Forgiveness”), Zoë Kravitz (“Blink Twice”) and Steve McQueen (“Blitz”). Other top-performing films include “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (nine nominations), “Blink Twice” (seven nominations) and “Sing Sing” (six nominations).

Key individual nominees include Zendaya, who earned dual recognition as an actor and producer of “Challengers,” as well as Ellis-Taylor, who got two nominations in the outstanding supporting performance category for “Nickel Boys” and “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” and Brian Tyree Henry, nominated in...

Nickel Boys is set in Jim Crow-era Florida and follows two Black teens, Elwood Curtis and Turner, who must endure the brutal and heartbreaking conditions of Nickel Academy. Despite all of the horrors around them, Elwood seems to always believe justice will prevail, while Turner teaches survival through cynicism. Their friendship makes this movie exceptionally powerful.

Newcomers Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson Elwood and Turner in Nickel Boys, which also stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Daveed Diggs. Director RaMell Ross opted to tell this story in a unique way that makes the audience truly feel as if they are experiencing things right alongside the young boys. His decision to film the movie in point-of-view style makes it one of the standouts of the year. Nickel Boys is based on a book, which was inspired by a true story. It is now playing in New York theaters and opens in Los Angeles...

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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Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is using her fashion to make a statement!

The Oscar-nominated actress, best known for her work in King Richard and Origin, attended the premiere of her new movie Nickel Boys on Monday night (December 16) at the DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles.

Aunjanue was joined at the event by co-stars Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Daveed Diggs, Fred Hechinger, Hamish Linklater (with wife Lily Rabe), and Jimmie Fails, as well as writer and director RaMell Ross.

On the red carpet, Aunjanue told the AP how she uses fashion to challenge the ideas of femininity.

Keep reading to find out more…

“[My outfit] is Balenciaga and all of these red carpets and all these appearances that I’ve done, I’ve wanted to do something that honored my queerness, my wanting to do something that didn’t live up the expectation of femininity in these red carpet situations. I’ve wanted to push against that,...