Idris Elba plays a magnetic, terrifying warlord in Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation, an adaptation of Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala’s novel of the same title. In the first full trailer, which follows up a teaser released in late July, we see Elba save the life of a young boy, Agu (Abraham Attah), but at a price—the boy must become a soldier.
Elba’s superhuman charisma has never seemed more chilling. “Victory!” he chants with child soldiers, as they yell back, “Yes, sir!” The film has received rave reviews coming out of Venice Film Festival that seem to agree that it is, as one reviewer put it, “one of the most beautiful films about ultimate ugliness.” The movie comes out on Netflix Oct. 16.
