Out of Africa, into Africa's heart

Rating: 9/10 (31 October 2015)

'Power is domination, control, a selective form of truth'. So wrote Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka.
When moral ceilings are torn down, beast-like things happen. This film shares the same principles of that literary masterpiece, Lord of the Flies.
The emotional control exerted on the minds and hearts of the hopeless, uneducated, nothing-to-lose beasts by a psychotic, militaristic leader, is harrowing portrayed.
Imagine: we were all just boys and girls, innocently laughing & playing. But this was stolen from Agu. His anger because of this, is the central theme of this terrific film. But he has a prevailing hope of redemption, to be human again.
Idris Elba is a brilliant actor. We know that. To pull of a convincing West African accent emphasises this. An Oscar nod may come. But it is the young boy who steals our hearts. Abraham Attah - how can a boy - so young - invest himself so deeply in such a tragic figure?! Sensational.
Fukunaga has the potential to become a true great. The colour, rhythm and wildness of Africa is magnificently delivered to the viewers pallet. He combines sound, cinematography and art flawlessly.
They were just boys, they became mindless beasts. And Agu screams out for the right to be a child again.
Netflix is here to stay. They are the future of cinema. But I cannot help but imagine how great it would've been to see this on the big screen!! On their first outing: 9/10.