“The Dog Stars”: Ridley’s Still Got It
by Gram Griffioen, Contributor
Illustration by Eila Duncan, Layout Assistant
As I sat down in the Apollo theater to watch Ridley Scott’s latest film, The Dog Stars, I didn’t have very high hopes. I was expecting your typical blockbuster film with high-stakes and epic action sequences, but not anything I would give much thought to after I left the theater. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself thinking intently about the film on my walk back through Tappan Square, realizing that it was much more than a recycled action film created solely to make profit. I kept thinking about how the story veered off from the formula that most post-apocalyptic action films follow, and how its ending left me feeling surprisingly refreshed.
Minor spoilers ahead.
The story follows mechanic-turned-pilot Hig (Jacob Elordi), his grumpy old comrade Bangley (Josh Brolin), and his dog Jasper as they navigate a post-apocalyptic Colorado. On their travels they meet another survivor named Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her dad Pops (Guy Pearce). Each of the four main characters contains a complex background that is brought to life through the performances of the actors. Hig is heartbroken over everything he lost when the world ended, so he spends a lot of time reminiscing about the past instead of living in the present. We can see this clearly in Elodi’s portrayal of the character because he often chooses solitude over socializing with Bangley and rarely smiles, instead maintaining a solemn and melancholy expression.
It’s not until he meets Cima that this changes. Cima is also heartbroken over all that she’s lost, but unlike Hig, she is eager to move on and live in the present. Qualley expresses this by making Cima’s eagerness and excitement to meet Hig very clear, and having her attitude perk up whenever she is around him. She ultimately convinces Hig to move on and live in the present, and his demeanor visibly changes.
Both Pops and Bangley are portrayed as grumpy old men who struggle with trusting newcomers and value the safety of those they care about more than anything. Bangley’s extremism when it came to trusting other survivors ultimately ended up pushing Hig away from him, which he soon realized and came to regret. Ultimately, Bangley opens up and learns to trust, which we can see in Brolin’s performance at the end of the film when he smiles and joins in with those he would have never trusted before. Pops was extremely hesitant to trust Hig at first, but he came to realize he makes Cima happy, which is all that matters to him. The depth of these characters, combined with incredible performances by the actors, sends the inspirational message that it’s okay to move on with your life and find happiness; just because someone is a stranger does not mean they can’t be a friend.
One of the first things you will notice when watching this film is that it is visually stunning. Colorado’s mountainous landscape with an overgrown post-apocalyptic effect results in some incredibly beautiful shots. This is most clearly seen during the opening scene when Hig flies his plane through the mountains towards Denver while Hozier’s “Like Real People Do” plays in the background. This scene truly separated me from the real world and made me feel as though I was exploring this picturesque post-apocalyptic world alongside Hig and Jasper.
The soundtrack for this film includes songs from Hozier, Caamp, Van Morrison, all the way to Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. These songs, combined with the musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams, create a rustic, feel-good tone with a hint of sadness for the old world that is long gone. They reflect the strive for inner solitude within Hig and his growth in letting go of the past.
While the acting, character depth, cinematography, and soundtrack were all exceptional, the one thing that stuck out to me most was that in many ways, the story is not what you’d expect. Most post-apocalyptic stories contain the same key plot points. We meet our hero, who has either been surviving for a long time on their own (Robert in I am Legend) or is fresh into the apocalypse (Rick in The Walking Dead). We’re then introduced to the dangers of the apocalypse (usually zombies, natural disasters, or humans that will do anything in order to survive). Next, our hero meets a new person or group of people that they are hesitant to trust (Del meets Grace in I Think We’re Alone Now). Then our hero must face one of these major dangers and overcome it by working together with their new allies (Columbus and Tallahassee join forces with Wichita and Little Rock to fight the undead in Zombieland). And finally, one or more of the main characters die, often in an act of self sacrifice to ensure the survival of our protagonists with plot armor (Frank gets infected with the virus in 28 Days Later).
What separates The Dog Stars from these other movies that fit into the post-apocalyptic film formula is that it has a truly happy ending. All the good characters that you would expect to die somehow survive. It’s become so common in these types of movies for that one character that you don’t really like at the beginning to sacrifice themselves in order to gain redemption. Both Bangley and Pops would have been a perfect fit for this trope, yet they both survive, redeeming themselves in a much more subtle manner. Some would argue the opposite, that this ending is instead evidence for bad writing, but to them I would ask whether they are truly upset that all the likeable characters survived. If the characters can grow and change without dying in the same old act of redemption-sacrifice that has been countless times before, is that not good? I would argue that it’s not just good, it’s exceptional.
Contrary to what most critics have said about The Dog Stars, I believe it is a surprisingly incredible film with beautiful cinematography, well-written characters, extraordinary acting performances, a profoundly touching soundtrack, and an unexpected ending that will keep you thinking long after you have left the theater. Go watch it at your earliest convenience.
