Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott is best known for directing acclaimed movies such as “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” and “Gladiator.” The 88-year-old director returns with his 30th feature film, an adaptation of Peter Heller’s novel “The Dog Stars,” a contemplative study of survival and grief in a post-apocalyptic world.
Set in 2035, years after a deadly flu has wiped out the world’s population, Hig and Bangley (Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin) live on an abandoned airfield outside of Denver. Brolin’s Bangley is a hard man made for this world, a loner who shoots first and asks questions later. Elordi’s Hig is sensitive and brooding, still grieving the loss of his wife to the disease. The pair doesn’t really seem to like each other but trust each other to defend their home against roaming scavengers.
Hig spends most of his time with Jasper, his dog and loyal best friend, who is his last connection to his past life. The two frequently fly a small plane into Denver to scavenge for supplies, which he shares with a nearby religious community. During one of these trips, he encounters another survivor who warns him of a gang called “Reapers” that is moving from city to city, destroying everything.
After a deadly encounter with a small band of scavengers, a distraught Hig follows a mysterious radio transmission coming from Grand Junction. Mechanical troubles force an emergency landing where he meets Cima and Pops (Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce). They slowly begin to trust each other and work together.
Unfortunately, the film is a bit of a mess. Beyond the numerous nitpicks – like where do they get all the airplane fuel – it tonally shifts from bleak and sullen (think Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”) to the violence and zany characters of “The Walking Dead” or any other post-apocalyptic world explored in numerous TV series.
Guy Pearce wins the award for one-note overacting with a perpetually clenched jaw and permanent stink-eye directed at Hig. It’s almost comical as the developing romance between Hig and Cima veers dangerously close to the cliché of the farmer’s daughter. Honestly, that would have been more entertaining! Even the action scenes are underwhelming, playing like studio notes meant to liven up a slow script. Ultimately, the film doesn’t break any new ground. It left me yawning and shrugging my shoulders.
“The Dog Stars” is rated R for strong violence and language. It slogs its way through one hour and 58 minutes. After recent missteps with 2021’s “House of Gucci,” 2023’s “Napoleon,” and 2024’s “Gladiator II,” Ridley Scott continues a disappointing late-career slump with this “Dog” that rates two out of five stars.
