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Beasts of No Nation

Play trailer 2:07 Poster for Beasts of No Nation Released Oct 16, 2015 2h 16m War Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 150 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
As civil war rages in Africa, a fierce warlord (Idris Elba) trains a young orphan (Abraham Attah) to join his group of guerrilla soldiers.
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Beasts of No Nation

Beasts of No Nation

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Critics Consensus

Beasts of No Nation finds writer-director Cary Fukunaga working with a talented cast to offer a sobering, uncompromising, yet still somehow hopeful picture of war's human cost.

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Critics Reviews

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Jason Bailey Flavorwire It wants to immerse itself entirely in Agu's experience, yet the filmmaker can't resist standing aloft in scenes that underscore the soldiers' ages and their actions, and pointing out easy ironies. May 3, 2016 Full Review Alison Willmore BuzzFeed News Fukunaga gives the film a visual grandeur that makes it feel like it's taking place after the world has ended, and all that's left for Agu is this morass of endless, uncaring violence. Nov 10, 2015 Full Review David Edelstein New York Magazine/Vulture Fukunaga's hurtling camera and taut cutting keep Beasts of No Nation only just this side of hallucinatory, and Elba is the kind of titanic actor to kick it to a near-mythic level. Oct 16, 2015 Full Review Paul Klein FILMHOUNDS Magazine You feel thoroughly rung out by it's harsh depictions of a world without compromise and yet thanks to Attah you feel that there is a future for Agu. Rated: 5/5 Jul 4, 2024 Full Review Jordan Brooks Vague Visages Absolutely devastating in its blunt portrayal of African civil wars, Beasts of No Nation packs so burdensome an emotional punch that I was left in stunned detachment, unable to cope with much of what I was experiencing. Aug 1, 2023 Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film It isn’t an action movie, but a realist story of savagery embedded in innocence before they have the chance to be a child rather than make decisions on the battlefield. Feb 28, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Doreen M Idris Elba was robbed at the Oscars, this was a masterful performance by him. His character is terrifying in ways other evil characters are not, because there is a layer of honesty and realism his performance brings. He is not just a comical evil dictator trope. Amazing movie that everyone should see at least once. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/21/24 Full Review eric g I don't remember it being this good. This is simply one of the best war movies I've ever seen. Brutally realistic. Nothing is watered down Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/19/24 Full Review Lulu M waaahouuuuuu this film is just fantastic and sickening. we dive into this film which evokes the events that the countries of West Africa suffered with the war and all evoking the key word the involvement of children in the war Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/09/24 Full Review Chris W This film represents what I couldn’t even dream of in a nightmare. It's almost soul destroying but I cannot recommend it enough. It’s a pertinent depiction of what is going on in the world, and you NEED to watch this, and hopefully feel compelled enough to do something to help, however big or small the gesture may be. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/01/24 Full Review Johannes S The movie is amazing, but you have to stomach the brutality. It shows how horrible and devastating war is, especially with child soldiers in Africa. The child actor playing Agu is astonishing, so is Idris Elba as the Commandant. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/27/24 Full Review Dave C A stark, sobering, sombre tale of manipulation, brainwashing, abuse, and corruption, all in pursuit of a misunderstood, genocidal lust for power. The subsequent crippling of generations is given little thought, and is shown here brilliantly on the shoulders of a young cast, supported by a strong performance from IE. It masterfully brings together some of the darkest elements of humanity, whilst showing what strength of spirit and resolve can help us survive and overcome. Hope is often an undervalued concept, but it's one with life-changing power even in the most maniacal, empty, violent of places Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Beasts of No Nation

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Movie Info

Synopsis As civil war rages in Africa, a fierce warlord (Idris Elba) trains a young orphan (Abraham Attah) to join his group of guerrilla soldiers.
Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Producer
Amy Kaufman, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown, Idris Elba
Screenwriter
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Distributor
Netflix, Bleecker Street Media
Production Co
Red Crown Productions, The Princess Grace Foundation, Participant
Genre
War, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 6, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$83.9K
Runtime
2h 16m
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