Child. Captive. Killer.|Sep. 11, 2015|USA|137 Min.|Not Rated
Genre: Drama;War
Description: Beasts of No Nation (2015) tells the story of Agu, a young boy whose life is upended by civil war in an unnamed West African nation. Agu lives peacefully in a small village with his family until the conflict reaches their home. As rebel forces approach, the villagers are forced to flee. Agu’s father arranges safe passage for his wife and younger children but stays behind with Agu and his older son. When government troops attack the village, Agu narrowly escapes capture and finds himself lost in the jungle.
Eventually, Agu is discovered by the Native Defense Forces (NDF), a rebel group that recruits him as a child soldier. Under the Commandant’s leadership, Agu undergoes a harsh initiation, including a brutal act of violence that changes him forever. He befriends Strika, another child soldier who communicates without words. The Commandant takes advantage of his power, subjecting Agu to abuse, which Strika understands all too well. Agu turns to substances like brown-brown to cope with the trauma.
The NDF gains momentum, and their victories lead them to the rebel headquarters. There, the Commandant’s ambitions are crushed when the NDF leader refuses to promote him and strips him of his authority. The film explores Agu’s harrowing journey through the horrors of war, loss, and survival.
Cast director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Cast actor: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye, Opeyemi Fagbohungbe, Emmanuel Affadzi, Richard Pepple, Ama K. Abebrese, Kobina Amissah-Sam, John Arthur, Kurt Egyiawan
Original name: Beasts of No Nation