--- title: "Beasts of No Nation: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/beasts-of-no-nation/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/beasts-of-no-nation" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 24 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Beasts of No Nation (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 24 reviews: 15 positive, 7 mixed, 2 negative. ## IndieWire — Demetrios Matheou Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. Festival review. Matheou finds the film harrowing, heartbreaking, and every bit as good as hoped. He singles out Idris Elba’s nuanced performance and Fukunaga’s forceful storytelling as giving the film its power. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/venice-beasts-of-no-nation-takes-a-young-boy-into-the-heart-of-darkness-review-182789/) ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Phillips Rating 4 stars. 15 October 2015. Phillips calls the film gripping, empathetic, and dramatically indelible. He singles out Idris Elba’s richly troubling performance and Abraham Attah’s striking portrayal of Agu for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/sc-beasts-no-nation-mov-rev-1012-20151012-story.html) ## Empire — David Hughes Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2015. Hughes calls the film searingly powerful and unflinchingly brutal, while noting its bleakness may be difficult for audiences to stomach. He particularly praises Abraham Attah’s assured performance and Idris Elba’s formidable presence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/beasts-nation-review/) ## Radio Times — Damon Wise Rating 4/5. Wise calls the film overlong but intense and extraordinary. He singles out its powerful depiction of a child forced into war. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-poix7p/beasts-of-no-nation/) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Rating 4/5. 11 October 2015. Kermode finds the film harrowing and heartbreaking, praising its uncompromising depiction of a child soldier’s descent into violence. He singles out Idris Elba’s terrifying charisma and the film’s cinematography and score for giving the story epic sweep. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/11/beasts-of-no-nation-review-idris-elba) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 4/5. 5 October 2015. The critic finds the film gripping and harrowing, though somewhat overlong. He praises Abraham Attah’s portrayal of Agu’s gradual loss of innocence. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/beasts-no-nation-review/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2015. Edelstein finds the film morally urgent and ultimately powerful, despite one failure of nerve. He praises Fukunaga’s kinetic filmmaking and Idris Elba’s commanding performance. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/movie-review-beasts-of-no-nation.html) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 3.5/5. 24 August 2021. Gonzalez finds the film’s choreographed violence and detached pop aesthetic emotionally distancing. He praises the Criterion release’s sharp, textured image and immersive sound. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/beasts-of-no-nation-blu-ray-review-cary-joji-fukunaga-criterion/) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2015. The review’s verdict is unavailable because the article text is paywalled. Its specific praise or criticism cannot be determined from the visible page. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/beasts-of-no-nation-review/5092413.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/movies/review-beasts-of-no-nation-a-brutal-tale-of-child-soldiers-in-africa.html) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. Festival review. Chang finds the film artful and accomplished, though overlong and not fully sustained. He praises its vivid Ghanaian landscapes and the young lead’s soulful performance, while faulting its weaker psychological perspective. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/markets-festivals/beasts-of-no-nation-review-venice-film-festival-1201582527/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied content. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beasts-of-no-nation-2015) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating C+. 15 October 2015. The critic finds the film technically assured but impersonal and emotionally unconvincing. He singles out Idris Elba’s Commandant as the film’s most compelling presence. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/idris-elba-highlights-the-flawed-beasts-of-no-nation-1798185237) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 3/5. 2 September 2015. The review calls the film a humane, uncompromising portrait that is tough to watch. It singles out Idris Elba’s charismatic performance as a warlord. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/beasts-of-no-nation) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2015. Festival review. Sexton finds the film horrific and dark but ultimately too long and unstructured. He praises Abraham Attah’s haunting performance, while criticizing the story’s lack of specificity and its token ending. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/venice-film-festival-2015-beasts-of-no-nation-film-review-a-horrific-account-of-the-exploitation-of-a-child-soldier-a2926406.html) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film’s accumulation of horrors overwhelming and ultimately diminishing. They fault its gruesome flourishes, arguing that some of its direst events called for a steadier approach. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/beasts-of-no-nation) ## Den of Geek — Chiara Gabardi Rating 5 out of 5. 4 September 2015. Festival review. Gabardi gives the film a highly favorable verdict, praising its delicate yet gritty portrayal of a child’s journey through war. She especially singles out Abraham Attah’s performance and the cinematography’s ability to convey violence without becoming invasive or morbid. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/beasts-of-no-nation-review/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film powerful, engrossing and devastating. They single out Fukunaga’s striking use of colour and the compelling performances of Idris Elba and the young cast. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/beasts-of-no-nation-review/) ## Paste — Nick Schager Rating 8.5. 15 October 2015. Schager finds the film a harrowing, unflinching portrait of a child’s descent into violence, tempered by a measure of hope. He especially praises Abraham Attah’s debut performance and a virtuoso single-take sequence that captures the anarchic brutality of war. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/beasts-of-no-nation) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2015. Festival review. The critic finds the film gripping and powerful despite its relentlessly bleak subject matter. They single out Abraham Attah’s performance and character transformation as central to its success. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/beasts-of-no-nation-review-idris-elba-cary-fukunaga-netflix/) ## Collider — Brian Formo Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2015. Festival review. Formo calls the film devastating, important, and exceptionally well-crafted, despite its brutal subject matter. He especially praises the long takes for connecting viewers emotionally to Agu’s helplessness amid violence. [Read the review](https://collider.com/room-beasts-of-no-nation-reviews-telluride/) ## Consequence — Collin Brennan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2015. Brennan finds the film devastating but essential viewing, arguing that its bleakness should not be avoided. He praises Fukunaga’s striking use of Ghana’s scenery as a counterpoint to the brutality of war. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/10/film-review-beasts-of-no-nation/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2015. The critic finds the film powerful and worth seeing, despite a narrative that loses force near the end. They single out the magnetic performances by Idris Elba and Abraham Attah, along with Fukunaga’s visual flair. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a673067/beasts-of-no-nation-review-netflix-goes-to-war-with-idris-elba/) ## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2015. The critic finds the film gripping and disturbing, but says its relentless immersion risks numbing viewers rather than offering insight. They praise Abraham Attah’s performance and Fukunaga’s visually arresting, immersive combat sequences. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/beasts-of-no-nation-2015-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/beasts-of-no-nation.md