The Dog Stars

Jacob Elordi can carry a movie. I'd never seen him in anything before this one, and now I'm paying attention.

I went in knowing next to nothing and walked out very satisfied. That doesn't happen a lot. Usually I've read enough, heard enough, seen enough of the trailer that the whole thing is spoiled before the lights go down. Not here. This one snuck up on me.

But for the people it's for, it's a hell of a time.

Elordi is in nearly every frame and he holds it. There's no coasting, no leaning on somebody else to do the heavy lifting. He's the guy, and he plays like the guy.

And then there's Jasper. A loyal, well trained dog makes any movie better; that's just a law of nature at this point. Doesn't matter what else is going on, put a good dog on screen and I'm in.

Margaret Qualley is great as Cima, Pops' daughter. Josh Brolin absolutely shines as Bangley, the practical, prepared one, the guy who's already thought three steps ahead of whatever's about to go wrong. Brolin's built for that role and he knows it.

Guy Pearce shows up and I'm happy. I'm always happy when Guy Pearce shows up. Benedict Wong too. Saw him on screen and got genuinely excited, which is maybe the highest compliment I can give a supporting cast member.

And Allison Janney is exactly as weird as you'd want her to be as the antagonist. Exactly. No notes.

There's plenty of action, too, which I wasn't necessarily counting on. It's not just people staring off into the distance being sad about the state of things. Stuff happens, and it happens loud.

The theater absolutely made it better. This is one where the big screen and the big sound earn their keep. If you've got the option, take it.

I watched it with family and it stuck with me afterward, which is the real test. A movie can be perfectly fine in the moment and evaporate by the time you're in the parking lot. This one didn't. I was still turning it over the next day.

Would I watch it again? Yeah, without hesitation.

Would I recommend it to everybody? No, and I want to be honest about that. This is a specific-people movie because of the rating. I know exactly who in my life would love this and exactly who would shrug at it. If you're the type who wants a quiet, lonely story with real teeth in it, you're my guy. If you're not, you'll probably bounce.

But for the people it's for, it's a hell of a time. Elordi's got my attention now, and so does the dog.