Viewers have been profoundly moved by a powerful historical drama rooted in devastating true events, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The acclaim follows similar praise for a TV series being called Netflix’s “best”, a period drama deemed a “masterpiece”, and renewed interest in a beloved murder mystery series.

Netflix’s First They Killed My Father arrived in 2017, chronicling the experiences of a young girl trapped in the horrors of the 1970s Cambodian genocide under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime of dictator Pol Pot. The film opens in 1975 with five year old Loung Ung (portrayed by Sreymoch Sareum), daughter of a senior military official, as her family attempts to escape the advancing Khmer Rouge forces seizing the capital, Phnom Penh.

As the narrative unfolds, Loung is forced to become a child soldier under the communist dictatorship, compelled to battle against Vietnamese troops across the border, whilst her siblings are condemned to gruelling labour camps. The film provides a gut-wrenching examination of how ideological extremism devastates ordinary lives, with innocent people swept into catastrophic violence.

Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie helmed the production, bringing to screen the 2007 memoir First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung. The pair collaborated on the screenplay together.

First They Killed My Father boasts an 88 per cent Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside an 81 per cent Popcornmeter rating, whilst IMDb users have awarded it a respectable 7.2/10.

The historical film has been lauded by viewers on IMDb, with one reviewer awarding it a perfect 10/10 score and praising its “Exquisite cinematography, phenomenal performances, and a magnificent account of modern day genocide.”

They concluded their review by stating: “The images stay with you long after the film concludes, and you’re left with an indelible memory of atrocities that are scarcely known. As well as an understanding of how human beings can transcend staggering circumstances. Must see!”

Another reviewer gave the film a 9/10 rating, describing it as both “enthralling and “amazing”. They found it difficult to articulate the pain evoked by the film, but ended their review by labelling it a “classic” and a “timely reminder” of the immense suffering endured by children in war-torn regions.

A third critic also awarded the film a 9/10 rating, commending First They Killed My Father as an excellent depiction of individual hardship during the early Khmer Rouge occupation in 1970s Cambodia. They added: “The film accurately portrays how Cambodians struggled under the regime, taking a more intimate perspective: a scale of about the size of a family or individual.”

Jolie revealed that she was inspired to direct the film after discovering Ung’s book while filming the first Tomb Raider movie in 2001, where she starred as Lara Croft. The memoir resonated deeply with her, leading to a meeting and subsequent lifelong friendship with author Ung.

The star of Girl, Interrupted filmed the movie over a span of 50 days in Siem Reap and Battambang in late November 2015, as reported by Screen Daily.

Accompanying her during the filming was her eldest adopted son Maddox, who hails from Cambodia.

Jolie expressed that the experience allowed Maddox to delve into the history of his homeland and gain insight into what his biological parents “most likely went through”.

She further shared with the publication: “I made it for Cambodia. I made it as a kind of thank you, a love letter. There hadn’t been a story on this scale that would reach people in their language, with them being the hero.”

Prior to this, Jolie had directed several films, including the Bosnian war film In the Land of Blood and Honey, By the Sea, and the inspiring true tale of Olympian Louis Zamperini in Unbroken.

First They Killed My Father is streaming on Netflix now

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