Beasts of No Nation Review

Original Air Date: 10/16/15 / Netflix One of the oldest cliches is probably one of the most true ones. War is Hell. 75% of Beasts of No Nation, based upon the novel by Uzodinma Iweala is an all-expenses-paid trip through Hell. Netflix’s first feature film is a curious one as it follows the story of (eventual) 14-year old Agu, a rambunctious kid who watches his family gunned down in front of him by a corrupt government-sponsored army. Agu escapes the gunfire into the jungles of West Africa only to run into something far more treacherous. It’s here where Agu’s story merges with a guerrilla warlord, the Commandant, played by Idris Elba. It’s funny how the previous 15 minutes of the film, detailing the beginning of the war and rebellion in Agu’s town, does not prepare you for the immediacy of his inclusion into Commandant’s army [quote_right]Elba could very well be one of the best actors over the last fifteen years[/quote_right]– Commandant’s adolescent boy army. The story continues to follow the development of Commandant’s army and the degradation of the boys enlisted in it. The drama moves from town to town, focused on taking back the capital, a destination special to Agu as he believes that’s where his mother and sister are.

This might be Agu’s story and Abraham Attah’s debut performance is very strong and rife with potential, but this is Idris Elba’s show. He is magnificent as the perhaps the most visible villain in a movie that is saturated with them. As with any good vi…