14. Beasts Of No Nation
Headlines surrounding Cary Fukunaga's child soldier drama Beasts of No Nation have focused predominantly on its unusual release strategy. The film, which stars Idris Elba as the mercenary in charge of a child army, only appeared briefly in cinemas alongside a global release through Netflix. Reviews were rapturous and Elba very quickly became a frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actor award at the Oscars. The hard-hitting subject matter and violence may turn off some of the more conservative voters in the Academy, but Fukunaga's work on True Detective has won him plenty of fans and there's considerable buzz around the film. It's also worth noting how much a Best Picture nomination for Beasts of No Nation could legitimise Netflix as a distribution platform. This would be more than just an Oscar nod for an important film; it could influence film distribution forever.
Tom Beasley
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Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
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