A stunning achievement in filmmaking, "Nickel Boys" shatters expectations at every turn

Without fail, there is at least one big movie every year that falls prey to the adage “style over substance,” a film that postures as an opus, but is really just filled with hot air and covered in papier-mâché with the word “masterpiece” scrawled all over its still-drying surface. It would be easy for an undiscerning eye to dismiss director RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” as one such flashy piece of Oscar bait. Ross’ conceit is so distinct that it immediately sets “Nickel Boys” apart from every other highly anticipated release this year, yet it’s that same storytelling device that will undoubtedly lead some viewers and critics to disregard it entirely. Hattie has all the affection you’d expect from a grandmother, but her presence brings a singular comfort to “Nickel Boys,” like a soft blanket being draped across a burlap bed. Brutal images of Black trauma and suffering are of no use to “Nickel Boys”; there is too much of a possibility that one might bury those sights so far down that they’ll forget about them entirely just to absolve the grief and guilt.