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This amazing 5-million dollar film puts many 100-million buck movies to shame. The fact that I still remember the Commandant, Strika, and Agu so vividly is something. Plus this movie did truly move me. I think it's a fantastic movie that is a modern Apocalypse Now on and off screen. It's also got one of cinema's best "one long take" sequences. The entire film was fantastic but Idris Elba was in another league here. The COLORS in this movie.
"A child has eyes to see...hands to strangle...a finger to pull a trigger...how can you say this child is nothing?"
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The young lead actor was discovered at a football tryout and gives one of the best acting performances I have ever seen in my life for someone of any age.
Best kid actors I've seen since City of God, but yeah age is irrelevant w/ both young cast's performances.
shit I have been meaning to watch that for ages. thanks for the reminder!
Anytime, it's an amazing film!
My friend said to me, “I didn’t like how Idris’s played his character as likeable”.
And that’s why he didn’t like the film. I argued with him, if you felt he shouldn’t have been likeable, then what reason would all those children and men had for following him?
Times like that just remind me that not everyone gets these types of films for one reason or another.
You can literally say the same thing about Hitler, it’s horrible that he was a likeable person and I’m sure behind closed doors he was sympathetic to suffering, had good qualities etc. That’s what a human is, they aren’t evil all the time.
If you want to transcend the moustache twirling bad guy from the days of old then you have to accept that humans are multifaceted creatures.
People didn’t pretend to like Weinstein, I’m sure to a lot of people, he just came across as a passionate, driven and relentless businessman.
Beasts of No Nation broke my heart and reminded me how blissfully ignorant we are to the nature of human beings. And what we are letting happen through negligence and inaction.
Yeah I dont understand that at all. I can see in the beginning he had this magnetic energy, and I am sure the director wanted it to be a slow burn. He rapes the boys, does sadistic shit, and is a complete megalomaniac, I think it is easy to hate him, But you are right even he has some sad history and programming that made him the way he is so its just tragic all around.
"The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time."
Late response, I just watched this yesterday.
I wouldn’t say he was “likeable”. I think he was “charismatic”, and that was necessary. He was able to inspire his child soldiers to fight and do awful things. The scene when he gets them pumped up and then they go to take the bridge is great.
He may have been a charismatic leader but he sure as hell wasn’t likable. He was a murderous pedophile.
I’d say him being likeable, not to us as the audience, but to the characters he attracts in the story is the consequence of his charisma.
As the plot unfolds and Agu is drawn in closer, we discover the that the truth is much more ugly then initially thought. But I’d say he is intended to be likeable in the beginning, it makes the nature of his character even more disgusting I think.
I agree.
RIP Stryker
It was a one of the first Netflix (can't recall, could have been the first) "original" movies and was very good.
Cary Fukunaga is a very unique director in his ability to set tone and character. I honestly hope he gets to show his strengths in No Time To Die.
Oh shit I hadn't realized he was doing No Time To Die. I am way more interested in this movie now
It was made first and Netflix stamped their name on it. Amazing movie though.
The kid’s speech that bookends the movie hit me right in the feels the one and only time I’ve seen it when it originally came out. It’s definitely not a movie that one forgets after having seen it and that’s a testament to the film’s lasting impact.
Yes, I've only saw one time, still has really marked it self in my memory. There are few movies that made this, is the history, writing and filming that made it so perfect.
The main kid in that movie should have been nominated for an Oscar. Damn shame he was not.
They just now barely nominate Netflix movies, they weren’t gonna do it for one of the originals
I think I need to bring attention to the fact that Strika (Emmanuel) has NOT been paid for his role also
To this day I say Idris Elba got robbed of a nomination badly. He plays a horrible pedophile warlord who is still charismatic enough that you find yourself rooting for him by the end. Great performances all around
The scene where they’re all doing the African war chants before attacking the bridge made me want to be a child soldier. Fucking pumped
It's a pretty solid movie.
Incredible, unique film. Gorgeous too.
That was the very first Netflix Original i believe. It was incredible. Back when Netflix Original meant it was going to be quality.
Now I see Netflix Original and pass instantly. They've become the equivalent of straight to dvd bargain bin movies. Blatantly focus grouped demographic pandering bullshit. Titles that aren't truly focused on being "good", but more focused on checking off enough boxes to get their target demographic to be interested and stay subscribed. Such a shame.
Beasts of No Nation was so good. After watching that movie I went on a huge Africa kick. Any media/documentary I could find.
Back when they said Netflix is reinventing cinema. Now they just renew another life for s2.
Great film. It's one of those movies you don't ever want to watch again, but won't forget.
It honestly surprised me on how good it was.
Agreed! It's a serious error that Idris wasn't nominated for Best Actor that year; he's scalding in this role.
IDRIS FUCKING ELBA
My little nephew watched it in loop for a year
I didn't like the fictional nation. Solid flick, but a made up country bothered me.
It’s not made up, it’s just never specified because it’s not important. It’s obvious that it’s in West Africa and most likely supposed to be Sierra Leone.
The country is really kind of irrelevant. If it had been a specific country then it likely would have needed to tie in to more specific historical events as well. It's also not a fictional country, just an unspecified country, as the country is never named.
It's also part of the point - as is evidenced in the title Beasts of No Nation. These are child soldiers fighting in a war but they don't belong to any country and aren't fighting for anything in particular other than their own survival.
Nah - this shit bothers me, too. Like, where the fuck is Valverde, Arnold? Fuck off with that.
It’s west African but it just never says where it is? It’s not a made up country. Each to their own but why would it bother you if there is a fictional country in a fictional movie anyway?
Ehh, I would argue it's only okay. I mean while Blood Diamond, and to a similar degree Hotel Rwanda cover the same topic Beasts of No Nation is like one of those hollywood copycat movies that come out in the wake of a Blockbuster or Oscar Contender. Idris Elba was the only selling point of that movie.
Some of the hackiest dialogue I've ever heard
I noticed that people tend to appreciate the movie based on their cultural background. It is a modest film that capture the child viewpoint (no award pretention, nothing). Just script and acting and it is by far more relatable than those pseudo-inspirationnal war biopic.
I dont think not seeing a movie can be a disservice to yourself....
You are sorely mistaken sir. There are many many movies that fall directly into that category.
I don’t think this is one of them. I was very excited and watched it the first night it came out. Was disappointed by the end. Maybe I’ll give it another shot after Bond comes out. As of right now, I think he’s better for TV.
Amazing...but flawed. When the 'former rebel leader' was negotiating is where the breakdown happened. The film should have concentrated on the plunder of natural resources as the impetus for rebellion. Instead, it degenerated into '...rebel bad, fuchs kids!'
For anyone that had to sit though death by PowerPoint to determine child soldiers in a foreign country... This movie is a shitty sad thing.
Great movie, just I'm sad now.
I thought this movie was garbage!
Why?
I honestly can’t say why exactly! I enjoy most of Cary Fukunaga’s stuff that I’ve seen, and I like Idris Elba in most things, but I just remember being incredibly bored watching this. I like the idea of it, and I feel like I should’ve enjoyed it, but I just didn’t at all. Might be worth a re-watch. I had a similar experience with BlacKkKlansman - I was expecting to enjoy it but that felt like one of the worst films I have ever seen, and I mean that genuinely - one of the absolute worst. Weird.
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What a horrible thing to assume.
I think I need to bring attention to the fact that Strika (Emmanuel) has NOT been paid for his role?!?!?!!!!!
Wtfff???
How is that legal?