Ridley Scott Takes Us to the End of the World! Our META Movie Review of The Dog Stars
We take a closer look at what the survival drama starring Jacob Elordi has to offer – and break down what other critics are saying
High-profile stars and impressive visuals: "The Dog Stars" has plenty to offer. But can Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic film deliver in other respects as well? Find out what we and other critics think of his new movie in KinoCheck's META review!
Here's what The Dog Stars is about
In the near future, the world as we know it has been brought to ruin by a pandemic. Pilot and mechanic Hig (Jacob Elordi) has created an isolated home in the middle of nature with his dog Jasper and survival expert Bangley (Josh Brolin). But simply surviving isn't enough for Hig. When he picks up a fragmented radio transmission during a flight, he decides to follow the message and embark on a journey into the unknown. Hig hasn't yet lost hope for a better future...
With "The Dog Stars", 88-year-old Ridley Scott brings his 30th feature film to theaters. The film is based on Peter Heller's novel of the same name. For the "Alien" director, this adaptation marks another foray into the future, following his recent forays into the past in his last films ("Gladiator 2" and "Napoleon"). Alongside Elordi ("Euphoria") and Brolin ("Dune"), he is joined by Margaret Qualley ("The Substance"), Guy Pearce ("Prometheus"), Allison Janney ("Hereditary"), and Benedict Wong ("The Martian").
Between Survival and Quiet Moments
One thing should be made clear from the outset: "The Dog Stars" is not a survival thriller packed with action – as some viewers might expect. The film certainly has its share of action sequences. However, Scott also focuses heavily on the quieter moments. After all, these ultimately predominate, as film critic David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter points out:
"The film has the feel of a melancholic, character-driven Western, rather than a shoot-'em-up survivalist thriller – even if it is punctuated by sequences of that nature."
Despite its calm and restrained storytelling, Scott occasionally delivers bursts of violence that pack quite a punch. One particular action sequence set at night stands out—and once again demonstrates Scott's skills behind the camera.
On his journey, Hig encounters a young woman named Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her father, known as "Pops" (Guy Pearce), who live together in a remote cabin. It's one of those stages of Hig's journey that finds its strength in the quiet moments. The scenes with Elordi and Qualley, in their simplicity, are among the film's highlights.
Overall, "The Dog Stars" strives to capture a positive and optimistic underlying mood. This is primarily due to the protagonist, Hig, who—despite a traumatic past—holds on to his belief in a better future and in humanity—or at least tries to.
Mixed Reviews
Overall, however, "The Dog Stars" has received a mixed reception from critics. "Muted but never dull," is how David Rooney describes it—and we at KinoCheck are happy to concur with that assessment. However, there are a few dissenting voices on this very point. Among them are strong opinions, such as that of Robert Daniels from RogerEbert.com, who calls "The Dog Stars" "the most tedious film of Ridley Scott's career". Jeremy Jahns also describes the film in his video review as too long—and criticizes some sequences that he feels are unnecessarily drawn out.
But many critics see one aspect in particular as a major weakness: the screenplay. Leanne Butkovic from IGN describes it in the following words:
"Ridley Scott's usually got a knack for making movies about grief-stricken men, but the post-apocalyptic survivor drama 'The Dog Stars' misses the mark with a leaden script that keeps any attempt at reaching a deeper emotional truth at arm's length."
The screenplay for "The Dog Stars" does indeed rely heavily on genre conventions and lacks some originality. Many elements of the film have been seen before, in one form or another. After all, the apocalyptic genre has been explored extensively over the past few decades—whether in hit shows like "The Last of Us" and "The Walking Dead" or in films like "I Am Legend."
The dialogue and characterization are at times rather stereotypical. In particular, Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce—two central actors—play characters that are a bit too similar: hardened, pessimistic, and skeptical men who just want to survive. Yet the ensemble cast is consistently compelling—and manages to make up for the occasional weakness in the script.
Ridley Scott's Vision
Ultimately, "The Dog Stars" relies on atmosphere. In fact, Scott and his Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt (known for his films with David Fincher) positively revel in their landscape shots. In general, Scott's direction is praised by many critics. For example, Giovanni Lago from the Next Best Picture writes:
"If Scott's direction weren't as formidable as it was, 'The Dog Stars' would be far less watchable, as there are plenty of moments that would kill the project in far weaker hands."
These words also underscore once again that "The Dog Stars" has received mixed reviews from the press. Opinions vary, ranging from "arguably Ridley Scott's best since 'The Martian'" (The Hollywood Reporter) to "the first Ridley Scott joint in some years that feels totally unnecessary" (Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire).
Our Verdict
"The Dog Stars" isn't an exceptionally original or thrilling film, but it is entertaining and atmospheric. A compelling cast and Scott's knack for certain character moments and action sequences ensure that this survival drama never gets boring.
But see for yourselves: "The Dog Stars" hits theaters on August 28!
By the way: To mark the theatrical release, we asked our community about their favorite Ridley Scott movie. The KinoCheck editorial team also held a vote—with a slightly different result. Here you'll find the Ridley Scott rankings from the KinoCheck community and the editorial team.
