Abraham Attah gives one of the best child performance's of all time and one of the best performances of any actor of the year

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2015)

Perhaps this film's biggest issue is its pacing and length at two hours and 17 minutes. A film's length must be justified in the content shown but unfortunately this feels more like a director's cut rather than 'theatrical cut." But maybe that's the point, considering it's a Netflix exclusive with minimal theater release.
First off, the film is shot *gorgeously* with a lot of experimenting done with the saturation and hues of the colors. There are also multiple "hidden" long takes that are nearly as impressive as the one in the first season of True Detective, also directed by Fukunuga.
Idris Elba gives a great and subtle performance as usual but the real star here is Abraham Attah doing unbelievable work not just for child actors but actors in general. The amount of pain he's effortlessly able to express with only his eyes is astounding. Overall, the acting throughout the movie from everyone almost makes this feel more like a documentary due to how real everything feels. This is exemplified by the sets and battle sequences that use minimal special effects to create an environment that feels real and tangible.
As for the story it really isn't anything we haven't seen before in film, especially if you've seen City of God. Take note, City of God and Beasts of No Nation may be similar in theme and story, but the tones and style are completely different with each one being unique in its own way (I greatly prefer the deep emotional connection I got from Agu in Beasts over the distracting shaky cam in City).
Overall, Beasts of No Nation is an excellent film that at times can be hard to watch. It isn't overly gory and bloody but its subject theme is highly disturbing and the development of Agu slowing becoming accustomed to war is truly riveting and emotional. The final ten minutes completely relies on Abraham Attah's performance and he makes it some of the best film making of the year.
8.5/10