20 Best Netflix Original Movies
10. First They Killed My Father (2017)
Angelina Jolie's harrowing portrait of war and its casualties is perhaps her best film to date. Based on Loung Ung's memoir of the same name, it charts the tragedy of Ung's (Sreymoch Sareum) childhood during the Vietnam War.
Rather than focus on the battlefield or the politics of war, First They Killed My Father puts all its energy into Ung's tragic story by seeing the conflict through her eyes - unable to comprehend what's happening, only aware that it's tearing her homeland and her family apart.
First They Killed My Father is unflinching in its depiction of loss and childhood, and though for the most part it's fairly heavy going, it's heart and soul speaks to just how strong the human spirit can be during times of national calamity. Ung's story is one of death and uncertainty, but with Jolie's thoughtful direction and focus, it's also one of hope and strength, and has to be seen to be believed.