Although I have a broad taste in movies, the horror genre is one that I really avoid. I simply don’t enjoy making myself voluntarily uncomfortable, I don’t have that need. Give me a good action film or a wonderful documentary and I’m sure to have a great time. Netflix has a wide range for those tastes and in recent years the company has become a provider of many films and series that are worth watching. To ensure that they stay ahead of HBO they started making their own series, with great success (think Orange is the New Black or House of Cards).

Beasts of No Nation is their first “feature” film, which wasn’t only released on their own service, but was also shown in a limited number of cinemas on the same day. Although Netflix normally doesn’t release any numbers, they were proud to announce it had been watched three million times. But because huge numbers are no guarantee of a good movie (think Transformers), the question is whether Beasts of No Nation is a successful first step into their own movies. Continue reading →