Is 'Beasts of No Nation' Netflix's entry into the Oscar race?

Idris Elba plays an African warlord known as Commandant in "Beasts of No Nation," a Netflix film whose new trailer is now online.

The film is about the making of a child soldier, Agu (newcomer Abraham Attah) and is based on a book by the Nigerian author Uzodinma Iweala. Cary Fukunaga ("Jane Eyre," "Sin Nombre") directs.

With its heavyweight subject matter and brand-name star, "Beasts of No Nation" feels like Netflix's entry into the Oscar race. It will be released not only through the streaming service but theatrically at Landmark theaters on Oct. 16.

Netflix has already notched two Oscar nods for their documentaries "Virunga" and "The Square."