You’ll probably cry, but should you? Director David Ayer (End of Watch, Harsh Times) reunites with Brad Pitt (F1: The Movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) for the first time since 2014’s Fury. At the time, Fury was Ayer’s most successful movie, earning $85 million at the box office domestically while receiving positive critic (75%) and audience (84%) scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Since then, Ayer’s directed films have mostly been hit or miss, except for 2024’s The Beekeeper. Known for edgier, in-your-face action movies, Heart of the Beast shows he can deliver a more personal, poignant story without an array of characters.
You’ll probably cry, but should you? Well, that all depends. Heart of the Beast will have achieved one of its goals if you do. The human-dog bond is designed to tug at your heartstrings. Though the film doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen many times before, that doesn’t automatically disqualify it as worthwhile. What does somewhat disqualify it is that it is based on a true story, or at least inspired by true events.
Pitt stars as James Belmon, a retired Army Special Forces veteran. Since retiring from active duty, and without any family of his own, James spends his time in the vast Alaskan wilderness with Odin, his faithful German Shepard that served with him during tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through flashbacks, we learn that the hell of war has left them each with PTSD. One particular enemy attack left Odin with a prosthetic leg and titanium teeth. Often, a nightmare jolts them awake, and they need each other’s comfort. They provide each other the physical and emotional support they need to get through these times, knowing the other is the only one who can understand their needs.
James is also afflicted with a pre-existing heart condition. The film’s central conflict occurs when the pair takes a multi-day excursion in an extremely isolated part of the state. On their way back, James suffers a heart attack while piloting the seaplane over a forest. The aircraft begins to shred as it clips trees before crashing and sinking into the bottom of a shallow lake, leaving the pair stranded. James manages to retrieve two heavy boxes of supplies, enough for basic survival. Unfortunately, they are trapped deep in unforgiving terrain, nearly 60 miles from the nearest road and their only hope for help.
The rest of the movie follows the pair as they navigate numerous obstacles, many of which wound one or both. This is the part of the film that forces you to suspend your disbelief, not because what they overcome is improbable as a true story, but because it feels almost farcical when none of it ever happened. Without going into the specifics, Ayer really ramped up the drama. Each new obstacle that James and Odin faced seemed more improbable, dampening the story for even the most believing and hopeful filmgoer. The film’s vibrant visuals are breathtaking. The obstacles the pair face are enthralling, and it really does feel like we are out there surviving in the wild with James and Odin.
Pitt was great. I wouldn’t have pegged this as a role he’d want. In a way, a movie that uses a dog to affect audience sentiment is a low-hanging fruit. Pitt is an accomplished actor built for more challenging, character-driven roles. However, the more I thought about it, the more I began to think that he wanted to have a film in his catalog that he carried almost entirely with no other actors, similar to Will Smith in I Am Legend, Tom Hanks in Cast Away, James Franco in 127 Hours, Robert Redford (All Is Lost), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Dev Patel (Life of Pi), Sam Rockwell (Moon), Matt Damon (The Martian), and a host, in recent years, of others. When done correctly, these actors shine. But for every diamond, there is a lump of coal, as evident in underwhelming films like Buried, Arctic, Land, The Shallows, and Locke. Though he won’t earn an Oscar nomination (something that Hanks, Franco, Bullock, and Damon did receive, with Bullock winning the award), this is one of his more memorable roles. He plays James in a way that felt exceptionally restrained and guarded. Each scene carried intensity, and James’s vulnerabilities were on full display when Odin was either not near or in danger.
The Heart of the Beast is not a true story. However, it pays tribute to something very real: the thousands of service members that service dogs have saved, and it highlights that many of the dogs live happy second lives with loving families after they complete their active duty. It isn’t uncommon for their forever home to be with one of the service members.
Suspend your disbelief, and you’ll enjoy this wild adventure, even if it wrecks you a little by the end. You’re probably going to cry, but should you? Yeah, let it all out. Dogs are the best species on the planet, and the bond between a human and their beloved companion is about as true as a relationship can get. Heart of the Beast honors that relationship.
Plot 7.5/10
Character Development 9.25/10
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 7.5/10
Directing 7.5/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 8.5/10
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
88.25%
B
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