Beasts of No Nation

i loved the movie not because its shot in my country but the content of the story and cast was done spot on. I just pray that all political leaders take a cue from this movie and past ones in this format not to plunge the world into this form of darkness.Best Indie Movie for sure @ the Oscars Idris you rocked it. This is a must watch for every household doesn't matter if you black,white,Asian,hispanic etc it can happen to any of us,some children are really suffering to PTSD due to political injustices that has led to war in many countries,lets be tolerant of each other and wish for a better brighter future for us all.

Greetings again from the darkness. Cary Joji Fukunaga has quickly established himself as an expert storyteller with his previous writing and directing of SIN NOMBRE (2009), JANE EYRE (2011) and the fascinating and conversation-sparking first season of "True Detective" (he did not direct the much-maligned Season Two). He goes even deeper and darker this time by adapting Uzodinma Iweala's novel about a child soldier.

When first we meet Agu, he is but an enterprising and fun-loving kid who thrives on mischief such as trying to sell "Imagination TV" – the empty shell of a console TV, complete with Agu and his buddies acting out scenes for those who peer through the picture tube opening. Agu describes himself as "a good boy from a good family", and we believe him.

Somewhere in Africa is all we know about the location, and soon enough Agu's village is under siege and he is separated from his mother, and forced to stay behind with the men – including his father and big brother. More terror forces Agu alone into the forest until he is brought into a mostly young group of rebel forces led by the Commandant (Idris Elba). It's around this time that Agu begins "talking" to God through voice over narration that allows viewers to understand what's going on inside Agu's head – often quite contrary to what is happening on the outside as he transforms from mischievous kid to dead-eyed child soldier. When Agu stops speaking to God, we understand that he believes he no longer deserves to be heard, but his words to the universe (directed to his mother) let us know, this boy has not yet lost his soul.

Though we never understand the war, or even who is fighting whom, this uncertainty is designed to help us better relate to Agu. He may be a tough-minded soldier, but we also never forget that he is mostly a little boy hoping to re-connect with his mother. Idris Elba plays the Commandant as part father-figure, part war lord, and part cult leader. He is a menacing presence one moment and a soothing voice of reason the next. When we (and Agu) learn the full story of his multiple sides, we are both sickened and disheartened. It's the performances of both Elba and newcomer Abraham Attah (as Agu) that make this such a devastating and fascinating movie to watch, and it's the filmmaking of Fukunaga that keeps our eyes glued to the screen when we would just as soon turn away.

Agu is a young boy in an unnamed African nation in the midst of a civil war. There are no services or school for him and his young friends. His father is a local leader. He lives in a buffer zone protected by Nigerian peacekeepers until the peace collapses. Government forces massacre the local population. Agu escapes as his father and brother are killed. He is captured by a rebel force led by Commandant (Idris Elba) who grooms him to be a child soldier.

This is a methodical depiction of the brutalization of a childhood. Idris Elba has a commanding powerful presence. The kid is an appealing performer. That's why his corruption is so demoralizing. It's a harsh, heart-breaking movie. It's a Netflix movie that is cinematic in quality. The plot is pretty simple and the kid's journey is relatively straight forward. Fukunaga delivers an unflinching look into this slice of the world.

I thought Beasts of No Nation was an excellent movie. It's certainly hard to watch but even though it's hard it is a very good movie. What makes it special is that it's a movie about real life events. Shameful events yes but real events. The fact that we live in such an horrible world where in some countries kids can not be kids anymore, but brainwashed killing machines is maybe incomprehensive for some people that have no clue what's happening outside their cozy neighborhood, but it's the hard reality. Child soldiers used by power hungry fools to do their dirty job is not an illusion anymore. The actors, especially the young ones were sublime. Very powerful acting. They made me think about all the misery that goes around in Africa. Very good filming as well. Like I said before the story might be hard to watch but it's certainly a must see to understand the problematics of some African countries.

One of the better war movies i saw lately. Really cool cinematography that enhances the beauty of Africa thats being taken for granted. It does a really good job immersing you into the war and make you care about the characters.

Its about a kid who loses his family to war then is forced to join the mercenaries. We watch his transformation from an innocent child into a soldier as he questions his own actions and trying to survive.