Beasts of No Nation

  • 2015


MOVIE IS harrowing charismatic powerful african physical
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Positive Reviews 109
Negative reviews 22
Average Rating 3.6/5
harrowing charismatic powerful african physical

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2.5
The Commandant may not be the central character of Beasts Of No Nation, but hes the only one that matters, because he represents a vision of something .. Av Club
2.0
The Commandant may not be the central character of Beasts Of No Nation, but hes the only one that matters, because he represents a vision of something .. Av Club
3.0
Cary Fukunagas stark, beautifully shot drama was likely never meant to be a blockbuster; its brutal account of a child soldier in an unnamed African c .. EW
4.0
A terrifying story, powerful images, and exceptional performances add up to a compelling but sometimes hard to watch movie about the loss of innocence .. Common Sense Media
3.5
For all the films unyielding focus on Agus journey and its reams of voiceover narration, something essential seems to have been lost in the transition .. Variety
4.0
That Beasts of No Nation looks as incredible as it does is no surprise. We Got This Covered
4.5
Elbas charismatic magnetism is on full display here, veering between gentle paternalism and fearsome monstrosity. Austin Chronicle
3.0
A humane and uncompromising portrait of one boys experience as a child soldier in an unnamed African country. Time Out
4.0
Adapted from Uzodinma Iwealas 2005 novel about an African boy recruited to a rebel militia, this Oscar tipped production gets a brief UK theatrical ou .. The Guardian
4.0
This is a very powerful and confidently made movie, a film that really puts its audience through the wringer, which finally refuses any palliative ges .. The Guardian
1.9
When anguish is this choreographed, it distracts fromrather than reinforcesits narrative purpose.
5.0
Attah makes an impressively stoic debut as the watchful, sympathetic Agu, conveying all of the terror, confusion and muted ambivalence of a boy for wh ..
4.5
By the time the violence has spent itself out, theres almost nowhere for Fukunaga to go, nothing left that hasnt been already visually slammed home. Screen Daily
4.5
Like reality, it is striking in its candor as Fukunaga tells a devastating tale of violence, emotional corruption, and indoctrination. Collider
0.0
This strikes me as the one failure of nerve in an otherwise uncompromisingly brutal film. Vulture
3.0
Given the countrys lack of much filmmaking infrastructure or a history of hosting big international productions, whats ended up onscreen is very impre .. The Hollywood Reporter
3.5
Writer, director, and cinematographer Cary Fukunaga hardly misses a horror in this immersive story about a child soldier in Africa.Adapted from Uzodin ..
3.0
An effective nightmare, and a solid piece of filmmaking, strong enough to make you wish that it could have borne the full weight of the tragedy it set .. The New York Times
4.3
Adapting Uzodinma Iwealas novel with fearsome intimacy, writer/director Cary Fukunaga depicts his unidentified African setting as a mixture of lushly .. Paste Magazine
4.2
But this is a coming of age story grounded in harsh truths, and newcomer Abraham Attah skillfully captures his characters awful transformation. IGN
4.0
Yet ultimately, this is Agus story and its the prodigiously talented Attah who gives this pulverising picture its soul. Telegraph
3.8
It can be enjoyed on a television, preferably a big one, but the film will be best experienced in a theater. San Francisco Chronicle
4.0
It might be vague on factual details, but meticulous in its attention to visual storytelling. The Young Folks
4.0
Its one of many astute judgments in a searingly powerful, unflinchingly brutal and almost unbearably bleak film.
4.0
This cinema verite style is further aided by the films unflinching darkness. Cinema Blend
4.5
Fukunagas film, which was an acquisition rather than something made in house, is a singular accomplishment and one of the years best films.Once this h .. JoBlo
3.5
Night Comes On director talks about shooting in Philly, and falling in love with the city.Night Comes On director talks about shooting in Philly, and .. Philly
3.8
One of its main characters is a young boy sucked into a world of gang violence.) Philly
5.0
A powerful cry from the heart to respect the rights of young boys and end their enslavement in war. Spirituality And Practice
2.0
Beasts of No Nation is undeniably hard to watch, but also a dramatically wrenching depiction of contemporary realities one might prefer to ignorebut s .. One Guys Opinion
3.8
Beasts has more back story than it needs, more movie after its dramatic climax than is necessary. Rogers Movie Nation
2.0
An effective but difficult war film to sit through without wincing. Sover
2.0
10 1 8 / 10 Harrowing is a singular way to describe Beasts of No Nation, which takes viewers into the folds of African unrest and the birth of the chi .. Blu Ray
4.0
Set in a war torn African country, this stark drama follows a young boy whos separated from his family and forced to fight for a rebel army. Chicago Reader
3.1
The resulting act of violence is appalling, but its the build up to it in which the true horror lies. Mark Reviews Movies
4.5
Needless to say, but Alba is so damn amazing. For the most part, he was convincing, he was totally committed to that role. You Tube
4.0
The British star Idris Elba finally gets a film role to match his breakthrough television performance in The Wire, a role that showcases his depth and .. The Times
2.0
Powerfully written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) this film contains ground breaking, uncompromising performances by Idris Elba, Abra .. Lariat
3.0
The film has an epic feel which is why it is a pity that it is being given only limited theatrical play. Independent
4.4
Hard to watch, impossible to forget.Thats Beasts of No Nation, a grueling war story set in an unnamed African country. Rolling Stone
4.5
That this adaptation of the novel by Uzodinma Iweala remains so gripping even as it piles horror upon horror is a testament to Fukunagas skill as a st .. The Wrap
3.0
The film in the end seems more of an expertly orchestrated blood bath than a full scale tragedy. Cs Monitor
4.0
Put another way, the bloodshed itself isnt beautiful, but the way its filmed most definitely is. Film Journal
1.9
Sure to be a favorite with racists, Beasts of No Nation sheds no light whatsoever on Africas civil wars but turns its gaze on black people brutalizing .. New York Post
4.0
In Brief: The Lion in Winter may not be a great movie, but as an historical romp that affords the chance of seeing two champion scene stealers Peter O .. Mountain X
5.0
Reaching out to discerning adult viewers across two media, Netflix is releasing its ambitious Beasts of No Nation for online streaming and theatrical .. Star Tribune
3.0
The lack of moralizing or posturing in this adaptation makes it all the more forceful. Reel Talk Reviews
4.0
Its a confrontationally violent and equivalently humane portrayal of life in a volatile country where absolutely everything can be lost in a heartbeat .. Flim List
2.5
Though its new star shines vividly in a dark and dour world, his illumination isnt enough to fully ignite an enlightening or poignant story. Film Inquiry
3.5
Delivering a powerful performance as the fearsome, despicable Commandant, Idris Elba noted, What happened to this child is happening every day to a lo .. Susang Ranger
5.0
Fukunagas sharp writing delivers a poetic script full of narrative exposition from the perspective of Agu that lets viewers into a tortured soul, and .. Flickering Myth
1.5
In a nameless African war zone, the family life of the young Agu (Abraham Attah) comes to a curt end when his father and brother are slain by invading .. New Yorker
2.0
Childrens rhymes, rousing gospel, throbbing guttural base, and swelling orchestral strings round out Dan Romers terrific score. The Film Stage
4.4
To Western audiences, Africa remains the dark continent of cinema. Boston Globe
2.0
Beasts of No Nation is an intense and draining experience to be sure The Martian this aint but it never feels excessive. Uproxx
4.0
Can the soldier capable of murdering a stranger on command with a machete be the same playful boy we encountered at the outset of the story.Under Fuku .. Blogs Indie Wire
4.5
The thing that makes the smile ghastly is that it is genuine, warm, paternal. Blogs Indie Wire
3.5
Beasts of No Nation succeeds on a visceral level, but lacks the unique perspective on the horrors of war its subject could have afforded. The Atlantic
4.5
They dont matter in the bigger picture because what matters is Agu and the children like him. Birth Movies Death
4.0
Size doesnt matter when it comes to great movies and Beasts is a great movie. Standard
3.0
Fukunagas efforts have resulted in a brazenly confident piece of cinematic art where every image immerses you deeper and deeper into Agus horror. Hit Fix
2.0
The world depicted in Beasts is almost certainly like nothing youve ever seen. Consequence Of Sound
4.0
Elba and the young Abebrese are compelling as the two leads and there is no happy denouement to this timely tale. Hey U Guys
3.1
What is impressive about Beasts of No Nation is that its completely uncompromising.There are moments in it of violence and atrocity Ill probably alway .. Film Freak Central
2.0
Beasts of No Nation is set, as the title implies, in an unnamed African country riven by civil war.It could be Sudan, or Rwanda or the Congo in fact, .. Oregon Live
3.0
Its this collision between a deeply philosophical work and a visceral, kinetic powerhouse of a film that sets Beasts of No Nation apart, a near perfec .. Film School Rejects
4.0
Fukunaga and his actors especially the two leads have managed to create a riveting drama which is suitably appalling. Cine Vue
4.0
Fukunagas touches of visual flair also make this worth choosing the big screen over streaming. Digital Spy
5.0
If Netflixs first film production, the Idris Elba starring drama Beasts of No Nation, is anything to go by, the increasingly popular phrase Netflix an .. Star Burst Magazine
4.4
The ugly world portrayed here isnt for all appetites, but it is depicted with a gripping authenticity. Stl Today
4.5
Idris Elba, who plays the charismatic and increasingly unraveled Commandant who captures, adopts and systematically ruins the adolescent Agu, gives on .. Cleve Land
3.0
The movie seems to loses Agu for a while in its middle stretch, and without any real specificity about place and time, the details of the films war ne .. Screen Crush
3.8
Image: Netflix A long time ago, St. Augustine wrote that while were to love all men equally, its impossible for us as limited individuals to do equal .. Christianity Today
4.0
And though Beasts may seem like the ultimate in cultural vegetablesthe story of a child soldier in an unnamed West African countryit is gripping and d .. Vanity Fair
4.0
Its Mulligan to whom the biggest plaudits belong. But the rest of the film cant quite live up to her. The Sun
3.5
Im giving Beasts of No Nation shortish shrift not because its insignificantin fact this remarkable film throws a bright if baleful light on the specia .. Wsj
2.0
If you can stomach it, seek it out, because Fukunaga delivers a tragic reality that deserves to be seen. Patriot Ledger
4.0
A consuming, harrowing adventure story that holds onto hope in spite of horror. Sandiego Reader
3.5
Taken as a whole, the film is certainly a good one, rich with striking visuals and believable performances. Cinemix Tape
3.0
With the collapse of the guerrilla effort, the lushly shot film enters a kind of narrative freefall, but that might ultimately be true to Agus mental .. Film Comment
3.0
The casts intense young actors are to be applauded, as is the films stance as a thought provoking (and crushing) piece of cinema but twenty minutes fe .. One Room With A View
4.0
To put it mildly, its not the ideal way to see a movie like this. Flavor Wire
5.0
Beasts Of No Nation is ground breaking.Not just because it marks a new age of film distribution, but also the ascension of its director to the status .. What Culture
4.0
This film holds back nothing, stripping away any of the glorious trappings of war while illuminating the complexities of humanity and reflection that .. Under The Radar Mag
5.0
With powerful performances from its cast and surpassingly brilliant direction from Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation makes art out of the kind of real wor .. The Verge
3.8
But neither the gruesome veracity nor the outstanding craft displayed in Beasts of No Nation make it any easier to endure. Movie Mezzanine
4.5
But unlike many of the films I saw, which featured good performances but were no more than okay overall, Beasts as a film is worthy of its terrific le .. Lainey Gossip
3.8
That may sound like typecasting this young writer director, but the results are so far impressive. Seattle Times
4.5
Put another way, the bloodshed itself isnt beautiful, but the way its filmed most definitely is. Film Journal International ..
2.0
This isnt a film simply trying to show the desolate nature of Africa. Fresh Fiction
4.0
While the Academy voters may be hesitant to honor a film that can be streamed from your couch, Beasts of No Nation is simply too good to deny.
3.5
Elba could very well be one of the best actors over the last fifteen years, and this performance only strengthens the claim.And you will watch all the .. Blacknerd Problems
3.5
Its amazing what a shaft of celestial illumination or a few lime and amber gels can do to a place. New States Man
4.5
Its likely as effective as attempting to market the movie with any description of the films bleak terror enrobed in harsh physical beauty.137m. New City Film
4.5
A strong and powerfull movie about war in which Cary Joji Fukunaga, Idris Elba and Abraham Attah show us horror that should never be repeated.
4.0
For all its brutality, darkness, and ruminations about how a higher power can allow such things to happen,Beasts of No Nationis also leavened with int .. Sf Weekly
4.0
Jane Eyre, True Detective and now Beasts of No Nation; Cary Joji Fukunaga is one of the worlds most exciting and versatile filmmakers. Graffiti With Punctuation
4.0
Its hard to talk about this movies performances when everyone is not so much acting as inhabiting roles with naturalistic ease. Honey Cutts Hollywood
2.0
Writer/director Cary Joji Fukunagas screenplay and direction clearly needed more cohesion. Movie Chambers
3.8
This is a movie that depicts brutal hand to hand executions at the hands of children, and director Cary Joji Fukugana does not leave anything out. Heral
2.0
A harrowing, surreal, and often times bleak portrayal of a reality many of us shy away from. Mac Guff
2.5
Its a viewing experience that audiences absorb but dont feel deeply; the threat of child endangerment generates what passes for empathy.Instead of pla .. Film Forward
3.0
From production design to performances and choreography, Beasts of No Nation is a paragon of grim vibrancy. But where it brims over superficial drama, .. Little White Lies
3.5
The strength of the film comes from the intensely intimate focus it keeps on Agu who is formidably played by young Attah. Kpbs
4.5
Fukunaga left the inflexibilities to tell the authentic and harsh chronicle of a child soldier with all the realities that it implies.
4.0
As accomplished and disturbing as the film is, theres often something a little remote about it. Bbc
3.5
As narratives go, this arc renders Beasts into something of a fairy tale (albeit grotesque and blood stained), in spite of appearances to the contrary .. Cinema Scope
3.5
The subject matter for Beasts is powerful as is, but what carries the film and pushes it from merely good to excellent is Attahs charged performance. Huffing Ton Post
3.0
The films raw depiction of Agus rapid plummet into the dark void of this civil war achieves its haunting brilliance in large part due to the care take .. City Beat
4.5
This is a disturbing film that you will not forget soon as much as you may want to. Leepers Us
2.0
This movie is a breathtaking, heartbreaking film that leaves a stomach ache.
4.0
With a different director at the helm, this picture could have easily been an exploitative and bloody mess. All Movie
2.0
There are many takeaways from Cary Fukunagas gorgeous and wrenching Beasts of No Nation..The first and most obvious is that our collective tolerance o .. My States Man
2.0
Unfortunately for viewers, this transformation is not one that can be observed at a safe distance. Four Three Film
4.5
Here stands the powerful performance of Elba and the good work behind the scenes by Cary Fukunaga, but is also limited by a script with certain weakne ..
2.5
I would never claim to be even moderately informed about African countries at war.But if someone were to hire me to write a script about violent upris .. Trib
4.3
Its a one hundred percent humanistic, visceral story that transcends any issue or conflict you could read about in the news.
4.0
Anyone who is a Netflix member has access to any number of good films, classic and contemporary.And now, Netflix is offering original material. Spokane7
4.0
Violent, but not without reason, Fukunaga brings out the best of his actors, his story, and his resources for a movie that will sit heavily in your he .. Movies With Mae
4.5
Fukunaga doesnt need to work too hard to get us to take a firm stance against the use of child soldiers.
4.5
It is cinema that makes you think; cinema that makes you feel; cinema that quickens your heart rate. Daily Review
4.0
It is entirely possible that Beasts of No Nation will not achieve the audience that it deserves.Adapted from Nigerian American Uzodinma Iwealas fierce .. Signature Reads
3.0
Beasts of No Nation is such a worthy, timely, thoughtful drama that the worst you can say about it is that its a shame its only good and not amazing. The Concourse Deads
4.0
A story about just one of the 300,000 child solders currently exploited in combat worldwide. Non actor Abraham Attah is an absolute wonder to behold.
1.5
Not going for neither political comentary or a reflective film about a perverse take on family makes this just another bland chapter in cinema history .. El Universal
4.0
Its not an issue film its a story about a boy who has a rich family life but then tragically loses it all and is left to fend for himself. Lawrence
4.5
A powerfull and devastating film that shows us the horror humankind can commit through the eyes of a kid thats lost his innocence. Proceso
4.5
This is a film about power, and its merciless abuse by men like the Commandant, told with muscular authority and fearless artistry. Big Issue
4.5
A heartbreaking drama thats hard, touches on a controversial subject, its very depressing, yet it rewards the audience. Cinema Movi L
3.0
An ultra violent narrative film, probably authentic look at the role of child soldiers in African civil wars. Compuserve
4.0
Well, with an estimated budget of 6,000,000 USD we cant expect anything less. ( GhMovieFreak
3.0
Attah is a minor revelation as Agu, imbuing our protagonist with such verve and wit. Deadshirt.net
4.0
Yes, its a very hard watch, and theres some shocking brutality.But Beasts is harrowing and bold filmmaking. Fox 29
3.0
Barberas argument is probably right.You cant stop progress even if you object to it. Huffington Post
1.5
Still, I wonder if Elba doesnt bring something a little too conventionally charismatic to the role, particularly by comparison with Abraham Attahs Agu .. Harpers



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