The Dog Stars stars Australian Jacob Elordi and is the latest film by legendary director Ridley Scott. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
Ridley Scott is one of the most successful and recognisable directors alive today. He is also one of the most diverse.
He burst onto the scene with Alien in 1979, created cult classics like Blade Runner and was the man responsible for one of the best movies of all time, Gladiator.
While all of these movies, along with many others, including The Martian and American Gangster, are certified bangers, there are a handful of others that are equally as disappointing or flat-out awful.
His newest film, The Dog Stars, is frustratingly in the latter of those two categories.
The Dog Stars is a post-apocalyptic thriller that follows Jacob Elordi as Hig and his dog Jasper. Hig is a mechanic and pilot in a world that has been ravaged by a virus, leaving very few survivors, akin to the likes of I Am Legend.
During his flights, Hig often receives radio calls from other distressed survivors who are trying to survive this world. On a gathering mission, Hig lands near a farm occupied by a couple of the people who have made mayday calls, including Cima (Margaret Qualley) and Pops (Guy Pearce).
From here, the trio navigate the abandoned world and the typical ‘survive the apocalypse’ film takes place, albeit with a few twists and turns I won’t spoil here.
The key point I want to drive home about The Dog Stars is not that it’s bad. It’s that it’s frustratingly disappointing.
When Ridley Scott announces a new project, it really is a flip of a coin as to what kind of quality you’re going to get. Often, with Scott’s films, the quality of his script determines the quality of the film.
The issue here is that the script is painstakingly dull and, as a result, this movie is so … boring.
Say what you will about Scott’s work on Prometheus or Nepoleon, but at least there was intrigue and innovation there. The Dog Stars takes its initially interesting premise and turns it into a narrative as bland as the setting it’s shot in.
It’s not the actors’ fault. Elordi is great, Qualley and Pearce try hard, and even Josh Brolin puts in a decent shift. The issues just come back to the script.
If there is nothing for the characters to do, there is nothing for the actors to go on. This, in turn, means the viewers have nothing to care about.
Let’s use Scott’s own work for reference.
Maximus from Gladiator is iconic. His story about leading the Roman armies before being betrayed by the Emperor’s son, who killed his family, is solid stuff.
From that alone, we know Maximus is a fighting leader; he has personal stakes in hating the antagonist and a reason to seek vengeance.
With Elordi’s Hig, we know nothing other than that he likes his dog. We get flashbacks, sure, but they don’t push the narrative the way Maximus’s story does. It’s more of a fill-in-the-blanks for an annoyingly mysterious character.
The film is shot fairly well, and the use of IMAX is very welcome, especially in some of the landscape shots, which are fantastic.
When the action does take place, particularly the sequences with the plane, it’s entertaining enough, but because the characters are so dull, there is no emotional difference between if they crash and die or miraculously make it out alive.
I really wanted to love The Dog Stars. The trailers gave me real hope, and the quality of 2026’s original films so far left me wanting more. I was hoping for some real Ridley Scott magic, but unfortunately, I called heads and the coin landed on tails.
The Dog Stars is showing in cinemas across the country.
Original Article published by Jarryd Rowley on Region Canberra.
