BEASTS OF NO NATION DRAWS RENEWED ATTENTION ON NETFLIX

Beasts of No Nation, a 2015 war drama available on Netflix, is prompting strong reactions from viewers. The film follows Agu, a boy forced into life as a child soldier amid civil war in his homeland. It is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and stars Idris Elba as the Commandant, a warlord who controls Agu through fatherly affection, fear and drugs. Abraham Attah plays Agu. Viewers have described the film as emotionally devastating, pointing to its portrayal of child soldiers and war crimes.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Nigerian-American author Uzodinma Iweala, which tells Agu's story from a first-person perspective. Agu is portrayed as a once-peaceful villager who is drawn into guerrilla warfare, trench raids and atrocities under the Commandant's command. The film holds a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, where one reviewer described it as "a tragic and emotionally devastating depiction of child soldiers in West Africa." Another reviewer praised Attah's performance, saying the child acting matches "the energy of Idris Elba's diabolical performance as the Commandant." The cinematography has also drawn comment for contrasting lush jungle scenery with depictions of abuse and war crimes.

Elba won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for the part, along with several independent film honours. One reviewer said Elba was "robbed at the Oscars," describing his performance as "masterful." The same reviewer added: "His character is terrifying in ways other evil characters are not, because there is a layer of honesty and realism his performance brings." The film, released in 2015, continues to draw comment from viewers on Netflix nearly a decade on.