War does not spare the young, as the first teaser trailer for Netflix's"Beasts of No Nation" so tragically shows.

The feature film comes from director Cary Fukunaga ("True Detective") and is based on the novel by Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala. It tells the story of a young boy named Agu (Abraham Attah) who's torn from his family to become a child soldier in an unnamed African country. He's taught to fight — and kill — by the Commandant (Idris Elba).

Watch the trailer.

The trailer is dark and intense and heart-wrenching, as the Commandant's soldiers overtake an enemy group. He urges Agu to kill one of the men, who is responsible for the deaths of Agu's family, but the young boy hesitates. This is the point of no return.

Even based on just this minute and half of footage, "Beasts of No Nation" looks thrilling and gritty and troubling — and after his work on "True Detective," we're eager to see more of what Fukunaga can do.

"Beasts of No Nation" will debut simultaneously on Netflix and in select Landmark theaters October 16. That means it will be eligible for the Academy Awards.

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