What’s it about?

A former special forces operative (Brad Pitt) and his former special forces dog (Uber) find themselves stranded in the isolated Alaskan wilderness and struggle to get back to civilization.

What did we think?

Anthony Sherratt says: I can put your fears to rest – the dog does not die. This isn’t a spoiler as this is established in the first minute of the movie. That’s not to say there won’t be emotional distress as this movie leans heavily into the connection between former special operative James Belmont and his former military dog Odin. And it’s not just Belmont who is haunted by explosions and deaths in his dreams; Odin is also suffering from PTSD as well. If your heart doesn’t break when Odin wakes from a dream distressed to be comforted by Belmont, then you have no soul and you do not deserve cinema let alone this movie.

Ultimately this is a survival drama with Pitt and Uber taking nearly the entire screentime. There are basically two other actors who make cameos and a few masked figures in shadowy flashbacks but the focus is squarely on our two heroes trying to find their way to safety. The film’s tension is backed up with some beautiful cinematography and a wonderfully understated performance from Brad Pitt (it should go without saying that Uber the dog is the bestest boy).

The only criticism I could offer is that some of the later drama feels a little manufactured – it really feels like it would make a better book – but the film’s ability to tap into ‘raw feels’ more than overcomes this minor gripe. While this won’t be everyone, this is a beautiful movie about connection. The fact it utilises only three human actors and isolated landscapes to underscore its point only demonstrates the thoughtful nature of what is, at its core, a lovely movie about a man and his dog.

The cinema may have been a bit dusty that day.