Netflix Original: Beasts of No Nation

Today, Netflix is set to release Beasts of  No Nation, the first major film purchase for the online streaming giant. The film, depending on its success could possibly change the business model for the motion picture industry forever.

The film stars Idris Elba as Commandant, an African tyrant who recruits a young boy named Agu, played by newcomer Abraham Attah, to be a part of his mercenary unit of child soldiers after he is kidnapped from his family during a civil war in his country. It’s directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the award-winning director from True Detective, who adapted the script from Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala’s 2006 novel with the same name. If this accompanying trailer is any indication of the tone of the film, Fukunaga may have just directed his first masterpiece.

In much of the same way that Netflix changed the business model of how traditional TV is viewed, the company is now looking to do the same within the movie industry. After purchasing the film for 12 million dollars, Netflix has plans to put a big marketing campaign behind Beasts of No Nation to ensure that it competes in all major film categories with the rest of the big budget studio movies this year. Now, whether or not they can pull this off remains to be seen. But early reports from critics suggest that the film is on the right track. Idris Elba has been receiving rave reviews online and the movie itself is being applauded for its overall message. In fact, Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler both have films that are currently slated to be released by Netflix instead of a major studio in 2015 and 2016.

Could we be witnessing a change in the movie paradox? Will movies start to go the online streaming route?
I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, I’ll be patiently waiting to stream Beasts of  No Nation.