Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 1960s' Civil Rights movement, 'The Nickel Boys' unveils the haunting saga of Elwood Curtis, a black teenager wrongfully confined to the Nickel Academy in Jim Crow-era Florida. The academy, a façade for a chamber of abuses, threatens to destroy Elwood's future. He finds camaraderie in Turner, but their divergent beliefs—a blend of idealism and cynicism—test their bond. Their story, rooted in historical trauma, explores the lifelong impact of the academy's monstrous realities.