This is a very powerful movie, based on a memoir by Loung Un, that depicts the trials of one family in Cambodia. Opening in Phnom Penh, the family is shown to be happy, prosperous and comfortable, living in a beautiful apartment with few worries. "Pa" is an officer in the pro-American government's military. But as the US commitment in neighbouring Vietnam collapses, the US withdraws from Cambodia, and Phnom Penh is overrun with guerrillas from the Khmer Rouge. People are expelled from the city, and the rest of the movie depicts the brutal treatment of the Khmer Rouge toward these refugees who required "re-education," whose personal possessions were taken away and who were forced to work in labour camps, supplying food to the soldiers whole they themselves faced virtual starvation, with many of the children being taught to become killing machines for the new regime. The movie is largely told through the eyes of Loung, and it's certainly eye-opening for viewers, as we're exposed to the inhumanity (on all sides) of warfare.Directed by Angelina Jolie (who I thought did a fabulous job) the film doesn't paint a simplistic portrait of "Khmer Rouge bad, Americans good." It was the US that decided to start a bombing campaign in neutral Cambodia, after all, turning much of the rural population against them and those who were looked on as their allies - mainly the city dwellers, and especially former government officials and soldiers. The decision to film the movie in Cambodian (rather than having the actors speak English with Cambodian accents or dubbing the dialogue into English) was a good one that gave even more of a feel of authenticity to this. The portrayal of Loung (by a Cambodian child actress named Sreymoch Sareum) was superb and powerful. Starting out as a fun-loving, somewhat mischievous little girl, the range of emotions shown as she deals with the nightmare she fell into was absolutely raw. I did find that the last half hour (as Loung finds herself first with the Vietnamese and then in a Red Cross camp) was a little bit confusing.It might help if a viewer has a little bit of knowledge about the history of Cambodia in this period and especially about the Khmer Rouge regime, but it's not vital. The story itself lets you know what you need to know and the heartache you feel for Loung (and her siblings, and really everyone who was caught up in this madness as their worlds were turned upside down) is very deep and very real. It's a powerful experience to watch this. (8/10)

With such a gut-wrenching subject matter of the Khmer Rouge regime and the memoir being such an emotionally complex read and going full throttle with the horror, 'First They Killed My Father' intrigued from the get go. Also wanted to see how actress Angelina Jolie fared as director, another reason for seeing the film. Saw 'First They Killed My Father' on Neflix a while ago but, as one can tell, it took me a while to get round to reviewing it, due to music commitments, my "to watch and review" list getting longer constantly and also that it took a while to gather my thoughts on the film. Can see both sides of the argument of both like and dislike. 'First They Killed My Father' is a very admirable film with a lot of strengths and some very powerful moments, but the memoir and the actual events are much more harrowing.'First They Killed My Father' is an incredibly well made film with some truly beautiful images, evocative production design and atmospheric scenery. Jolie directs more than competently, the visual style is spot on and she does a great job ensuring that the perspective doesn't get too biased or one-sided, like when Loung sees good in the enemy in the scene with the captured soldier. Telling the story through the eyes of a child was a brave choice and makes for a persuasive argument, this way prejudice and politics don't muddle or overshadow the story and the potential trap of being too innocent is thankfully strayed away from.There are moments of great poignancy and power, not just the above scene but also the older sister's murder, the scolding and especially the walk through the blood-stained forest (the closest the film gets to capturing the full horror of what the regime was like). 'First They Killed My Father' is a thought-provoking film too and the message resonates and is still an important one. Loung is a person one identifies with and roots for every step of the way, and Sareum Srey Moch's extraordinary and very touching performance is an enormous part of why.On the other hand, while the restrained approach is laudable and somewhat appreciated rather than going the excessively graphic and potentially gratuitous route, 'First They Killed My Father' doesn't quite go full force dramatically and could have taken more risks. Not be as intrepid in showing the regime's full horrors, which were bloody so the graphic nature actually would have been a valid and necessary approach. Can understand what the film was trying to do, but some genuinely powerful. harrowing and poignant scenes (especially the empathising of the captured soldier, the death of the sister, the scolding and the blood-stained forest) are not quite enough in a film that tends to treat the subject in a way that's too careful, muted and tame. A tighter pace, less of the idyllic lingering shots and images (beautiful they are and some make an emotional impact, but not escaping the traps of self-indulgence, being distracting and not having much to them other than looking good) and more dialogue (which may have given the film more flow and cohesion) would have probably solved this.In conclusion, good admirable film but could have been more. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Angelina Jolie has been consistently banal with her directing efforts, and this one is no different. At its best, it's skillfully edited, beautifully shot, solidly acted, and disarmingly authentic. At its worst, it's sluggish homework. There are certainly some bright spots (lead girl is incredible, battle scene is harrowing, message of forgiveness over vengeance). Still, if you wanna watch a more engaging version of a similar story, click over to another Netflix original Beasts of No Nation.

Having lived in Cambodia for over 18 months, I was glad to see a movie bringing the many atrocities of the Khmer Rouge to light, for the simple fact that far too many people have no idea what happened in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, and those who do, don't understand the why behind it. This movie not only fails to inform about the truth, but also intentionally misinforms with straight up non-facts that fit today's alt-left anti-US sentiment. All this amounts to both a simply terrible movie, and an utterly shameful insult to the upwards of 3 million victims of the ultra-communist Khmer Rouge regime. I understand the source material is the memoir of a survivor who was a young girl at the time, but the presentation of said source material is over produced, needlessly artsy, and even the supposedly emotional scenes lose impact because the film does not add any context to the events that unfold. Which is very coincidental, as the Khmer Rouge targeted intellectuals for extermination, this very movie leaves out a lot of facts which would make the false narrative purveyed by the director crumble to pieces. Looks like the alt-left ultra-communist playbook hasn't changed much after 40 years. Do yourself a favor and show respect to the victims of this tragedy by skipping this movie and reading some of the very informative books out there. Even better if you could actually travel to Cambodia and visit Tuol Sleng (S21 prison) and Choeung Ek (the killing fields).