Beasts of No Nation

I think that you can find a better movie than this on a similar topic. The director Cary Joji Fukunaga used all the depression from a TV series True Detective and introduced a young boy as a main hero, who in the first 20 minutes plays with other boys and enjoys a normal life of an African kid in a bush who is happy for every football from the West he can get. Then suddenly, something happens, and the boy is under such pressure he can’t get out of that devasting situation. Cary is a master of these story twists. At the same time, he created this story without any restraints, so I wasn’t emotionally invested and didn’t get emotionally tired as a consequence. While watching this film, I felt like an empty shell, so watching the horrors happening in Africa didn’t really arouse any emotions in me. The filmmaking aspect, however, was perfect. The emotional detachment’s actually the only reason I don’t give this a five-star rating. Netflix made a great debut with its first feature film. (20.06.2017)

I really indulged myself with this one. I had the film on my radar for a long time, but it kept eluding me. Now I’ve finally caught up. Cary Joji Fukunaga is undoubtedly one of the best directors of today (I hope the new Bond film doesn’t disappoint). His work with the camera, the imaginative script, and his firm directorial hand all create an unforgettable core to his films. Beasts of No Nation is set in an unnamed African country torn by civil war. The story is told from the perspective of an eight-year-old boy whose fate is truly unkind, as life throws a multitude of obstacles in his path. I must note that the little boy performed with absolute brilliance; his dialogue at the end, particularly with his eyes, left a lasting impression. The supporting roles are filled with lesser-known actors, aside from Idris Elba, who excelled as the commander of one of the many factions (I can’t understand how he missed out on a nomination for a major award). The ending leaves you with a lot of emotions and makes you think. One of the best dramas on Netflix, and it was a very pleasant surprise for me. I give it 85%. (24.10.2020)

The globalist intro turns into a bloody wartime odyssey about growing up. Elba is fantastic - the Commandant utilizes child potential to the full. The youngsters also act brilliantly, but this is mainly a concert by Fukunaga. Unfortunately it doesn’t have anything much new to say. Even so, Beasts of No Nation was a joy to watch. A decent storyline, visually captivating, work with characters is textbook standard. I’m upset that he isn’t making It. If you don’t answer me, then it’ll eat you. (18.10.2016)

How much better it would have been if it had skipped the blind spots, being too literal too often and not having every emotion that the viewer should feel explained and what is even more important redundant voice over? Much better, but still not enough to hide the fact that despite of being impressive in many ways you will not remember this movie for long. Which, considering how this theme is interesting (“children’s like" Conrad's Heart of Darkness), is at least surprising, if not shocking. (18.10.2015)

A solid film with the best child acting I've ever seen. Beasts of no Nation portrays uncompromisingly, brutally, harshly, emotionally and very realistically the civil war in Africa with a terrifying leader, Idris Elba, who is serious about winning an Oscar. The running time doesn't matter at all, the film is brisk and very engaging. A surprising indie genre film. 80%. (25.10.2015)