By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"NICKELS" FALLS SHORT
I was initially intrigued by the premise of the dramatic, supernatural movie
"Nickels," but in the end, I was a bit disappointed with how it all played out.
"Nickels," from director
Spencer King ("The Wilderness") and screenwriter
Tim Tuchrello ("James the Second"), centers on Tom Monroe (Rob Riggle, "Don't Move"), a successful entrepreneur who, for decades, has carried the emotional weight of his brother's fatal motorcycle accident.
The ordeal has even caused him to withdraw from his sister, Deborah (Rebecca Gayheart, "Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood"). Things are often testy between his wife, Liz (Elizabeth Tulloch, "The Pirate King" and TV's "Superman & Lois"), and his daughter, Harper (Odessa A'zion, TV's "Stranger Things: Tales From '85").
Just when it seems as if Tom's depression is subsiding, his world is torn apart again when his neighbors, Bill and Lorraine Diller (Tom Arnold, "Alien Storm" and Vinessa Shaw, "PH-1" and "The Wilderness"), inform him that their son, Mitch (Aaron Holliday, "Faces of Death" and "Cocaine Bear"), has been involved in a terrible motorcycle accident. The details of the near-fatal accident are eerily similar to those of Tom's brother's accident.
What's strange is that Mitch starts acting weirder than usual, and Tom notices things Mitch is doing that remind him of his brother. His behavior makes Tom wonder if there is some sort of spirit that has returned to haunt him.
The film's title, "Nickels," also has significance to Tom, as the coins become a connection to his brother and a reminder of the loss he’s carried with him for so many years. This adds another layer to the supernatural side of the story, suggesting that ordinary objects can linger with people and take on emotional meaning. It is an interesting setup that has the potential to explore grief, unresolved family trauma, and the possibility of something beyond what we can explain. Unfortunately, the movie never quite reaches the impact its premise seems to promise.
What hampers "Nickels" the most is the pacing. The movie is slow, and it becomes difficult to stay fully invested in the story. A slower film can work when the extra time allows the characters and their emotions to develop, but here the deliberate pace often feels more drawn-out than meaningful. I wanted to feel a stronger emotional connection to what Tom was experiencing. Instead, much of the movie left me waiting for something more substantial to happen.
In addition, the casting didn't quite work. Riggle wasn’t convincing in his portrayal of a man haunted by the death of his brother and the possibility that his past is somehow resurfacing. The supporting cast brings some recognizable talent to the film, but the performances weren't enough to overcome the overall disconnect from the story.
I wanted to like “Nickels” more. The movie has potential, but the execution was underwhelming.
"Nickels" opens in
select theaters Oct. 2 and is also on digital/VOD.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"NICKELS"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
