It says a lot that Im including young Abraham Attah here, and not his Beasts of No Nation co-star, Idris Elba. Elba puts in his finest movie performance (nothing will ever top his work in The Wire) in Cary Joji Fukunagas film, and if hes not quite a lock for an Oscar nomination, then hes definitely in the top ten candidates. Yet its Attah who really steals the show here, the actor searing and devastating in his first film role (hes not even technically an actor, the crew found him playing football and skipping class in Ghana and asked him if hed like to audition). Though he gets top billing, Idris Elba is really the supporting actor here, and its Attah who carries the film, appearing in nearly every scene. It takes a lot to helm such an emotional, controversial (though said controversy has been exaggerated) picture, but he pulls it off like a seasoned pro. By the time of Beasts close, Attahs Agu will have seen rape and torture, committed murder, and been subject to molestation himself. Theres never the sense that Attah is acting these experiences (bar one instance of obviously filmic violence), though, instead navigating his way through the picture like its actually happening, all blood-curling screams to begin with before slowly silencing out into a tough, ultimately numb child soldier.
