The arrival of Cary Fukunaga's Beasts of No Nation signals a change in the way major Hollywood movies will be perceived. It's not enough to be Netflix's first original feature; any film could be worthy of that label, but clearly the streaming service has Academy Awards hopes for Fukunaga's African war drama. Based on the early reviews out of Venice those lofty expectations could be met, not only for the film itself but for star Idris Elba.
A new trailer has been released, a more extended version than the previously released teaser. Based on Uzodinma Iweala's book, the film centers on young Agu (Abraham Attah), who is rescued as a child by the Commandant (Elba), who raises him to be a child soldier. What's most striking is the sheer brutality of Elba's character towards these young boys, set against such a gorgeous backdrop.
Putting the film together came at a price for both Fukunaga and Elba, who experienced a number of near-death experiences during the shoot, as chronicled in a recent Variety piece. So hopefully it was all worth the trouble and they'll be rewarded in kind. Beasts of No Nation hits Netflix on October 16th.
