Atrocity after atrocity - but difficult to get through

Rating: 5/10 (2 May 2016)

Beasts of no Nation, meant as a grim and accurate depiction of the brutality and horror of an African conflict, is visually striking but difficult to watch (not just because of the atrocities, but also due to not having much of a plot).
The movie reminded me a bit of Full Metal Jacket (all scenes after the training camp), in that it jumps from location to location and is image after image of brutality, but without a particularly defined plot. In Beasts of No Nation the viewer follows a band of marauders that murder, rape, pillage in the most gruesome ways possible.
I don't think anyone would argue against that war is all hell, and the savagery in African conflicts can reach unspeakable levels, but more than two hours of brutal violence is perhaps more than necessary.