Ridley Scott's career has always been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. For every Alien or Blade Runner, there's a Kingdom of Heaven or a Napoleon. His latest, The Dog Stars, unfortunately lands firmly in the latter category.
Based on Peter Heller's 2012 novel, the film stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, a former pilot surviving in a post-pandemic America. He scavenges with his dog Jasper, clinging to hope while his companion Bangley (Josh Brolin) takes a more pragmatic approach. Hig's search for signs of life leads him to a mysterious radio signal and a military base, where he meets Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her father (Guy Pearce). But feral gangs threaten any chance of a future.
A derivative and dull apocalypse
Scott, at 88, still commands the camera, but The Dog Stars borrows heavily from 28 Days Later, I Am Legend, and Mad Max without adding anything new. The result is a film that's neither thrilling nor profound. It tries to be both an introspective character study and an actioner, but fails at both. The pacing is painfully slow, and the script by Mark L. Smith never delves into the themes of societal collapse or shared grief that made the novel compelling.
The cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt is stunning, but it can't compensate for the lack of narrative drive. As the minutes dragged on, I found myself fixating on an unexpected element: Josh Brolin's goatee. It's a magnificent piece of facial hair, giving him a grizzled uncle vibe that's more engaging than the plot. If the world ends, I'd rather stick close to that goatee than follow any radio signal.
Unless you're keen to watch Jacob Elordi in a Carhartt jacket staring into the distance, or you're starting a goatee appreciation society, The Dog Stars is a miss. Scott has given us classics, but this isn't one of them. Let's hope he has one more great film in him before the next pandemic hits.
For more on Europe's cultural picks, check out our late August selections.
