Ridley Scott has directed some of Hollywood’s most iconic movies, from “Alien” and “Blade Runner” to “Thelma & Louise” and “Gladiator.” But over the past decade, his films have mostly ranged from OK to meh.
Unfortunately, his latest falls in the latter category.
“The Dog Stars,” adapted from Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, follows Hig (Jacob Elordi), a mechanic trying to navigate a post-apocalyptic America that had been ravaged by a deadly flu years earlier. He has taken shelter at an abandoned Colorado airport and is joined by Bangley (Josh Brolin), a brutish former Marine with great aim, and Hig’s Belgian shepherd, Jasper.
The routine is as follows: Hig flies into Denver in his little yellow plane to seek supplies, stops by his old house, triggering flashbacks of his late wife, occasionally makes deliveries to a rural community of Mennonite farmers, and sometimes joins Bangley in killing trespassers who may be infected with the virus before burning their bodies as a precaution.
Hig thinks there is more civilization beyond the mountains, namely in Grand Junction. Bangley thinks it’s a fool’s errand and that leaving Eric would certainly lead to death. But Hig can’t deny his own convictions, so he ultimately decides to seek life elsewhere.
He’ll come across some interesting characters on his journey, like the boorish rancher Jack and his daughter Cima (Guy Pearce and Margaret Qualley) and the eccentric Darlene (Allison Janney). There’s also what’s been dubbed the “Reapers,” a group of tatted savages who will kill and destroy anything in their path.
The cast does a fine job. Elordi, the Australian up-and-comer known for his breakout role in HBO’s “Euphoria” and appearing more recently in “Wuthering Heights” and Netflix’s “Frankenstein” (which earned him his first Oscar nomination), is flexing his leading man muscles. Both Brolin and Pearce earn a few laughs for their rough-around-the-edges performances. And Janney elevates any project she’s in, regardless how zany her character is.
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However, I never felt strongly invested as a viewer. Except for a few gun battles, “The Dog Stars” was fairly dull. Despite Elordi’s best efforts, Hig is a run-of-the-mill dystopian protagonist, so there isn’t much to work with (perhaps the source material is to blame).
The guitar-forward score from Harry Gregson-Williams only furthers the film’s sleepy western vibe. At least all the mountain scenery was pleasant to look at.
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Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” is the latest installment in the prolific director’s middling stretch of films that will likely leave the mind shortly after viewing. And when that happens, you question why the movie was made to begin with.
“The Dog Stars” is rated R for strong violence and language. Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes. In theaters now.
