Review of Beasts of No Nation (2015) by Alex F — 17 Oct 2015

Devastating brutal, and unflinching, Beasts of No Nation is an honest look at the horrors of a civil war conflict in Africa. It's a film of violence and repulsiveness, such as can only be witnessed in such carnage. Following a young boy who becomes conscripted in to rebel faction of a resistance group, Beasts of No Nation transports us in to a tragedy that is all too real, yet little talked about.

The film's uniqueness has largely been focused on its release venue through Netflix, which is proving to be ingenious, yet one must also acknowledge the achievement by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the director. He brings to life what could be any number of war-torn regions, and focuses his craft on conveying the sheer emotion and the stupendous brutality of the situation. That is to say, it's not the fact of who's fighting or why that's important, all of that is mostly irrelevant; it's the toll that the war has that's important. That is follows a child-soldier makes it all the more impactful, and Cary brings a very talented cast together. This cast, of course, is headlined by Idris Elba, who deserves a nomination for his performance.

It's a film that is hard to watch, yet necessary. Bleak, yet honest. If there's a criticism, it's that the underlining humanity is perhaps lost a bit, it can be very difficult to enjoy without an emotional undercurrent for the viewer to follow. Yet it seeks to challenge the viewer and does so unapologetically, with strong.

Performances, a smart script, and all-too realistic execution.

4/5 Stars.