Intense, but Necessary

Rating: 10/10 (6 November 2015)

Sometimes a movie gets going with a lot of blood and violence, and you start to wonder, "Maybe I should back out and go for another one instead?" That wasn't the case here. In order to truly understand the intensity of the situation in Africa, it needed to be in-your-face realistic violence. Child actors rarely draw me in to a character - especially if they're acting a part that has to experience something traumatic, and haven't experienced anything close or relatable to it in real life. Abraham Attah, from Ghana, was a street vendor, not a soldier. Nor has he been in a war-riddled area. But he blew my mind with his superb and completely believable performance as Agu. Complimented by supporting actor and Hollywood veteran, Idres Elba, and other fine actors, the characterizations were flawless. When you submerse yourself into the emotion of the story, the violence stops feeling like violence. You start to realize it's a part of Agu's change from a good Christian "boy," to a soulless war machine/man. A definite "must watch."