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Brutal Beasts

There is a tangential conversation to be had with the release of "Beasts of No Nation", as it is the first Netflix film.

It's an interesting and terrifying state to be in and think about the future of movie theaters. I - like most who see the movie will - watched the film in the comfort of my home on Netflix. It wasn't playing anywhere in my area but the entire time, I wished I was watching this movie on the big screen. It's going to be a tricky film for people to decide to stay in on Saturday night and watch but it is an experience that should be had on a big movie screen (it in a limited theatrical release).

Director Cary Joji Fukunaga brings an unnamed African village to life in his adaptation of Uzodinma Iweala's novel. The story follows Agu (newcomer Abraham Attah). He has witnessed a great deal of violence in his village, including the death of his father right before his very eyes. It's a shocking moment for the young Agu but, what's more terrifying, seeing this kind of violence is all too commonplace for the young child.

Soon after, Agu transitions from the witness of violence to the cause of violence. He is recruited by an unnamed Commandant (Idris Elba) as part of a military comprised mostly of children. Commandant is charismatic and hypnotic, transfixing each of the kids. He casts such a spell over Agu and everyone around him that with the snap of a finger, the kids will put a bullet in someone's head.

And that's the story of "Beasts of No Nation", a relentless tale of violence. Sobering but often impossible to take your eyes off of, the movie is visually stunning. Fukunaga, who also serves as the cinematographer, captures the arid landscape and puts us in the midst of the violence. It's a brutal experience.

The screenplay could have used a bit of polishing and shifting of focus. Fukunaga takes his time opening the story and skims over the psychological effects of the Commandant. The last two acts build to an emotional wallop and we get a glimpse of the Commandants effect on Agu in a heartbreaking scene. As shocking as a lot of the violence is and beautiful as the movie is shot, I wish I didn't have to wait until the end for the film's emotional hook.

Elba will more than likely be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance and could even take home the Oscar. His performance is reminiscent of Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland" but Elba makes the Commandant definitively his own. Attah is a real find, often saying so much by saying so little. His face and reactions to the world around him tell this character's story.

Some of "Beasts of No Nation" feels very repetative, going back and forth between episodes of violence, but this is a well-made film that touches greatness.