'Nickel Boys' offers different perspective with point of view storytelling

The new movie "Nickel Boys" offers a shift in perspective on the big screen. The story is an adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer prize-winning novel about the friendship between two boys at an abusive reform school. The film shines in its use of the camera as its own character.

Director RaMell Ross offers movie-goers a new way of seeing a film. It's told with a first-person point of view perspective, allowing us to see the world as the characters would.

"I had this idea, the intent, to me is so meaningful, and so aligns with what I think are the needs of the relationship between the camera and people in general," said Ross. "I had many challenges, you know, but I was pretty happy that I had the opportunity and was going to do it."

The story follows two Black teenage boys who are sent to a racist and abusive reform school in the Jim Crow South. The film's stars, Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, essentially became camera operators.

"It says in the script that is, you know, things are shot in POV (point of view)," said Herisee. "We didn't really know what that meant or how that was going to happen. It was just like, 'I'm just gonna be open to however this is going to be done.'"

"When we actually started shooting in that way, and seeing some of the images, that feeling came of knowing that it was kind of special and never been done before," said Wilson. "That recognition came after we kind of started to do it a little bit."

Daveed Diggs plays the adult version of one of the young men. Yes, he also helped as a camera operator for his point of view! And, audiences never see Diggs's face in the movie!

"When Ramel, the director, pitched to me the idea of how he wanted to shoot it, I said, 'I have no idea what you're talking about. I gotta do this!'" said Diggs. "And then even while we were doing it, I was like, 'I don't know, I don't know if this is gonna work.' And then to see it all put together and how incredibly effective it is, I'm just, I'm very happy to be a small part of this thing."

"Nickel Boys" is rated PG-13 and is in limited release now.