Director Ridley Scott is back on the big screen following 2024’s Gladiator II with the post-apocalyptic science fiction film, The Dog Stars, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Peter Heller. The film opens worldwide on Aug. 28, and early social media reactions have arrived following its world premiere in London on Aug. 20 and after a series of press screenings that were held within the last week. Scott is always welcomed on the big screen, but does his latest film live up to one of his best, or does its late August release date suggest a film being dumped and hoping for the best possible outcome?
What Are The First Reactions Saying?
Unfortunately, while not scathing, the first reactions to The Dog Stars sound decidedly mixed. Most of the reactions praise Scott’s typical visual flair and the cinematography of Erik Messerschmidt, but the bulk of the film’s problems come down to the film’s screenplay written by Mark L. Smith.
A lot of the ideas in the post-apocalyptic film reportedly feel a bit run-of-the-mill and not unlike what we’ve seen before from the genre, while one reaction in particular points out that Scott is only as good as the screenplay he’s given and that the script for The Dog Stars simply isn’t all there. The performances, however, are earning praise, with Elordi getting props for his soulful turn in the film while Josh Brolin is said to be the film’s MVP who steals all of the scenes that he’s in. Looks like The Dog Stars is a lot of solid ideas that aren’t fully realized in the final product. You can check out some of the first reactions below.
What Is The Dog Stars About?
The Dog Stars takes place after a devastating flu pandemic that had wiped out most of humanity. The film primarily follows a former civilian pilot named Hig (Elordi) and a former Marine named Bangley (Brolin) as they battle outside threats and hope for a better life beyond the one they’re living in. The movie also stars Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong.
Paul Mescal was originally cast as Hig after working with Scott on Gladiator II but had to drop out of the film due to scheduling conflicts with his role in The Beatles biopic. Elordi then entered negotiations and was ultimately cast in the lead role, with the rest of the supporting cast soon following.
The Dog Stars opens nationwide this Friday.
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