Netflix moved into uncharted territory last week when the streaming service released its first original feature film, Beasts of No Nation. Beasts was adapted and directed by Cary Fukunaga, the director responsible for the first season of True Detective. It is a bold first venture into the world of original films, and it will undoubtedly serve not only as a test to see if streaming services can create quality content, but also as a test to see if everyday people will express interest in it.
Beasts, originally a book by author Uzodinma Iweala, tells the story of Agu (Abraham Attah), a boy from a West African country torn apart by civil war. It is important to note i’m not being reductive here when I say West African or don’t give details, they are either never stated or simply glossed over. But this isn’t a movie that needs details to immerse you; the world building is done so strategically and thoroughly though cinematography and characterization that you don’t feel the need for names and places.
When Agu’s family is killed by the army, he escapes into the wilderness and is found by a rebel army lead by a sociopathic Commandant (Idris Elba). He becomes a child soldier, both protected and exposed to unspeakable violence by the Commandant. The audience watches as young Agu loses his innocence and tries to survive in a world nearly stripped of empathy.
As big a name as Elba is, and as great his performance, it is truly 14 year old newcomer Abraham Attah that carries the film. He allows Agu to transform from playful child into traumatized and hardened child soldier without losing Agu as a character. The interactions between Agu and the Commandant are compelling to watch, but in my opinion, it is the interactions between Agu and his fellow child soldiers that was the true center of the film. The loss of innocence and the support shared by the children hit me deeper than the horror caused by the senseless violence of the Commandant.
Beasts is not a "netflix and chill" movie. It’s a movie that doesn’t invite casual viewing and one that claims your full attention. Even as a notorious mid-movie commenter, I didn’t speak once over the course of the 2 hours of watching. It’s not that the plot hinges on minute actions or is overly complicated, in fact the story itself is fairly simple, it’s that the performances and direction deserve to be watched fully and focused on.
It’s no secret that Beasts is hard to watch. It was created and advertised as an Oscar contender and not as a purely commercial venture. It deals with horrific subject matter and doesn’t shy away from the darkness and pain that comes for all of the characters. This is where the screening aspect is truly a positive. You are free to watch in your own home, alone or with others, and free to stop and take the time you need to get through it. The streaming model gives the user control over their own experience. Netflix has never shied away from difficult content in it’s TV shows -- see The Fall or Orange is the New Black -- and it recognizes how it’s model can be a positive in that regard. From a purely consumer standpoint, Beasts works for me because I don’t have to pay $15 and leave my house to see a fantastic film. Only time will tell if others feel the same.
