Beasts of No Nation

“I just want to be happy in this life.”

For those of you who don’t have Netflix, you may want to make that small investment. Netflix brought to us an Oscar nominated film ‘Beasts of No Nation’ which is all the buzz and has already won 2 wins and 9 other nominations. Written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre), he has brought to us not only a phenomenal and dramatic war movie based on an unnamed western African country but he has also brought to us new and raw talent. Abraham Attah who plays  our main character Agu takes the audience on a fearful, violent, and brutal journey through raging war.

It’s highly recommended to keep the tissues nearby, however it is a must-see! Exceptionally shot and difficult to ingest as the story is one of a child solider being separated from his family; it’s a shameful yet remarkable journey of how young Agu is forced into manhood and battles not only war but his savage transformation. Nigerian/English Idris Elba (Thor, Mandela, Luther) also gives a powerful performance. 

Shot entirely in Ghana  over 35 days, and casting mostly in Sierra Leone, it is Netflix’s First Original Film and most of the cast were actual child soldiers and arrested because of suspicion of them being mercenaries. Fukunaga actually got malaria while shooting and Elba gifted actors with iPods before leaving Ghana.

This is probably my favourite for this year, and in my opinion one of the best child actor performances  I’ve seen. I do hope to be seeing much more of Attah and hoping after all their hard work, and pristine execution and story that they receive some more wins.