36/22
Elwood Curtis’ college dream is shattered along a two-lane highway in Florida. After bearing the brunt of an innocent mistake, he is sentenced to the underworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal correctional institution steeped in the Jim Crow South. He meets another protégé, Turner, who has seen it all. Two black teenagers form an alliance: Turner shares important survival tips, and Elwood holds onto his optimistic outlook. Against the backdrop of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner seem worlds away from the flamboyant oratory of the Reverend Martin Luther King. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood struggles to maintain his humanity, awakening Turner’s new vision.