Beasts of No Nation (2015)

A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.

Director:

Cary Joji Fukunaga

Writers:

Cary Joji Fukunaga (written for the screen by) (as Cary Fukunaga), Uzodinma Iweala (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Abraham Attah, Emmanuel Affadzi, Ricky Adelayitor

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 33 wins & 53 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abraham Attah	...	Agu
Emmanuel Affadzi	...	Dike
Ricky Adelayitor	...	Village Constable
Andrew Adote	...	Ecomod 2nd Lieutenant
Vera Nyarkoah Antwi	...	Little Sister
Ama K. Abebrese	...	Mother
Kobina Amissah-Sam	...	Father
Francis Weddey	...	Big Brother
Fred Nii Amugi	...	Pastor
John Arthur	...	Angry Bush Taxi Driver
Grace Nortey	...	Old Witch Woman
Emmary Brown	...	Grandfather
Nataliah Andoh	...	BBC Host
Matthew Mpoke Bigg	...	BBC Correspondent
Nana Mensah	...	Young Girl

Storyline

Follows the journey of a young boy, Agu, who is forced to join a group of soldiers in a fictional West African country. While Agu fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and he is at first torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination Depicts the mechanics of war and does not shy away from explicit, visceral detail, and paints a complex, difficult picture of Agu as a child soldier.

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Plot Keywords:

child soldier | civil war | boy | guerrilla warfare | guerrilla | 

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Taglines:

Child. Captive. Killer.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Akan

Release Date:

16 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bestie bez vlasti

Filming Locations:

Ghana

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$51,003, 16 October 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$83,861, 23 October 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Princess Grace Foundation, The, Red Crown Productions, Participant Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cary Fukunaga based the look of the film on the work of photojournalists. Some scenes are reminiscent of the work of Photographer Tim Hetherington's coverage of the Second Liberian Civil War which was featured in the documentary "Which Way To The Front Line From Here"

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Goofs

When Preacher confronts the Commandant to say that he is leaving, the Commandant calls him Two I-C, who died earlier in the story.

This is not necessarily a goof. Two I-C is a rank (Second in Command), not a name. When the first Two I-C is killed, presumably on Commandant's orders, Commandant needs to delegate a new deputy leader and chooses Preacher. This is why Preacher's decision to leave carries such weight, and why he later opts to return to the bush.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Agu: It is starting like this.
[watching other children playing]
Agu: Let's keep looking. They aren't good enough.
Dike: Hey, let's take that girl.
Agu: Which one?
Dike: That girl. Zoey. Let's take her.
Agu: Ah... No. What about that one?
Dike: Him?
Agu: Yes.
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2016)

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Soundtracks

A Good Family
by Dan Romer

User Reviews

A story to take with you

Compelling with beautiful shots and music. Watched on Netflix where other options and distractions are a abundant, but I did not put this down. It is quite the untold story about such a huge political and inhumane problem within Africa today. Casting was great, very memorable faces. I would say this is what American Sniper should have been like. The changes in characters was gradual and smooth, PTSD and other issues were presented much better. Eye opening in a way old stories used to be. This was much more than entertainment, but more of a virtual experience like Saving Private Ryan was. Quite gritty as well, which doesn't bother me, but for those that are sensitive this will be a hard watch.