Is Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation” Oscar Worthy?

Technically, Netflix’s upcoming epic about child soldiers in Africa starring Idris Elba and newcomer Abraham Attah will be eligible for an Academy Award given that it will have a limited run in U.S. theaters. But even then, the streaming service’s first wholly original film might be on the outside looking in given Hollywood’s complex politics. Just looking at this brand-new trailer for Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation, however, suggests that the film may deserve consideration.

Now, we won’t actually know if Netflix and Fukunaga have pulled off the hard trick of beating the major studios at their own game until Beasts hits streaming and big screens on Oct. 16. With harrowing images like these, though, you can guarantee that we—and the Academy—will be watching.