Unique voices in cinema are always welcome. It’s hard to imagine a cinematic landscape where formulaic films dominate and ambition is left behind. Bold swings don’t always hit the mark, but in the case of RaMell Ross’s adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Nickel Boys, we have a brilliant adaptation that takes a confident, daring approach. It’s sure to be a talking point for its effectiveness and execution.

Nickel Boys takes us back to 1960s Florida, following the lives of two boys, Elwood Curtis and Turner. Elwood is a promising student who, after an unfortunate encounter, ends up at the Nickel Academy, a reform school. There, he befriends Turner, and together they uncover the dark secrets and brutal injustices lurking beneath the school’s façade of rehabilitation and self-improvement—abuses that have been buried within the school’s hierarchy for years.

RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes’ screenplay makes some of the year’s most ambitious choices. Weaving through moments of tragedy and levity, the script—paired with Ross’s direction—is presented through the eyes of its main characters. Despite the film’s 2-hour and 20-minute runtime, it never loses focus, guiding us on this emotional journey from Elwood and Turner’s perspective. However, while Ross’s direction and the screenplay’s bold choices are admirable, they didn’t fully resonate with me. I often felt a disconnect, and despite the first-person point of view, I was kept at arm’s length, which led to an emotional gap when the film’s third act delivered its intended gut punch.

Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson give nuanced, emotionally captivating performances. Though the film rarely lingers on their faces, the strength of their friendship and connection is palpable. Despite the hardships they endure, Elwood and Turner’s dedication to each other is the film’s emotional core.

In a limited but powerful role, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is sensational as Elwood’s grandmother, Hattie. While the focus is on Elwood and Turner’s friendship and time at Nickel Academy, Ellis-Taylor delivers some of the film’s most emotionally resonant moments.

Nickel Boys is a case where the bold, ambitious storytelling choices are deeply admired, even if not fully loved on my end. Despite my reservations, the film is innovative, important, and deserving of multiple viewings and discussions.