Carl Roberts 
“David Ayer’s Heart Of The Beast is a moving, emotional, and dramatic tale. Brad Pitt is great, but it’s Odin the dog who steals the show.”
After all the build-up, trailers, featurettes, and images, Heart Of The Beast is finally here. Directed by David Ayer, the film stars Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, and Anna Lambe. That said, Simmons and Lambe have very brief appearances in the film. Instead, it concentrates almost exclusively on Pitt and his canine companion, Odin. A survival thriller/drama/emotional rollercoaster, it has to be said that tissues are a requirement here for the climax and, at times, throughout the film. But do you need them for the emotion the film contains, or for tears of laughter throughout the entire movie?
THE PREMISE
The film follows retired Army Special Forces veteran James Belmont (Pitt) and his traumatized military combat dog Odin, who are stranded deep in the freezing Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. With no rescue coming, they must endure a grueling 58-mile trek to safety, battling unforgiving terrain, deadly wildlife, and their own shared combat trauma. The survival thriller highlights the deep, unbreakable bond of loyalty between a man and his canine companion under extreme stakes.
THOUGHTS
Before we start, I’m about to drop a HUGE spoiler for the film. If you don’t want to know it, look away now!
Still with me?
Ok. The film telegraphs its climax at the very start. That’s all I’ll tell you, but be advised. However, once this brief scene concludes, we are thrust into the heartwarming story of an Army Special Forces veteran and his former combat dog. And it captivates our hearts from the start. Pitt, as James Belmont, is as loyal to his canine companion as the dog is to him. Scenes that break our hearts include watching the dog suffer from PTSD-induced nightmares about his time in combat. Watching Belmont wake up and hug and soothe the animal is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. But the bond between the pair is virtually unbreakable.
When Odin is injured after Belmont’s plane crashes, Belmont is devastated, finding his companion lying still and apparently dead in the forest. Belmont risks his life to retrieve supplies from his sunken plane, not only to survive but to tend to his fallen friend. To nurse him back to health. Later, after Belmont falls into a rushing river, Odin pulls him from the water. The bond the two share is incredible. Both rely on each other for friendship, for love, and for survival. Almost akin to The Call Of The Wild, the film follows the pair as they try to rediscover civilization. In a way, it is like a modern remake of Jack London’s novel. One that has us held rapt, with the threat of tragedy and sadness just around the corner.
BRAD PITT
Brad Pitt excels as James Belmont. His own recollections, nightmares, and feelings of survivor’s guilt invade both his waking and sleeping moments. After suffering a heart attack at the controls of his plane (the cause of the crash), he spends the remainder of the film trying his best to save himself and his canine companion, despite continuing chest pains and injuries he suffers in the crash and during the hike back to civilization. But his desire to make it alongside Odin forms the majority of the film, the crux of this survival story. Pitt shows a more tender side to his nature throughout.
There’s no huge action sequence, no foul language, and no violence from the actor here. Instead, we see a flawed man, one who is untrusting, a hero who doesn’t see himself that way. Mirroring his performance in Legends Of The Fall back in 1994, Pitt again shows his quality acting during the entire runtime. This could lead to another Oscar nomination for him, one he deserves.
UBER
Uber plays Odin, the dog. And, quite expectedly, he steals the show and our hearts throughout. A canine that runs away with the film from his human co-stars. Dog lovers will be amazed by what he does throughout the film. Sad, emotional, loving, protective, and a loyal friend to Belmont. He is Belmont’s reason to keep going, and Belmont is his. A single paw on the arm breaks our hearts; a facial lick makes us swallow hard, and his protectiveness toward his human companion makes us cheer him on.
Dogs have been a staple of films like this for generations, Lassie being the standout. But here, Uber as Odin becomes the star of the show in his own right. We start to tear up as Belmont removes Odin’s prosthetic appendage and gently caresses the stump of his leg. Odin is the beast of the title, and it is quite apt. His heart keeps the story and the film above the usual fare.
DAVID AYER
David Ayer directs the film with brilliant restraint. Instead of the big-budget, action-packed fare he is famous for, he lets the story breathe here, developing at its own pace as it moves toward its final twenty heartbreaking minutes. With Queenstown, New Zealand standing in for the Alaskan wilderness, Ayer shows the beauty of his locations: the mountains, the terrain, the rapids of the river. When the film is bright, it is extremely bright, with all the colors appearing gloriously on screen. When it’s murky or dark, the color palette emphasizes this.
With a cast that includes mainly three actors and a dog, Ayer allows the story to flow, directing Pitt and Uber to heartwarming and emotional performances. With Cameron Alexander’s superb script at its heart, Ayer’s film becomes a much-needed breath of fresh air compared to the normal cinematic releases. It shows you don’t need expensive CGI sets and set pieces, or a cast of hundreds, if not thousands, to tell a story. With just two characters at its heart, the film is amazing.
VERDICT
David Ayer’s Heart Of The Beast is a moving, emotional, and dramatic tale. Brad Pitt is great, but it’s Odin the dog who steals the show. It is an age-old story of man and beast against the elements, a survival story that grips and never lets go. Sadly, a poor CGI recreation of a bear lets the film down slightly, but it is a minor quibble in something that leaves us wrung out emotionally by the time the end credits roll. A simple story, told and acted superbly. When I said you’d need tissues by the climax, I wasn’t joking. Dog lovers are in for a rough time during the final twenty minutes. It is pure emotion, something that has us hiding our leaking eyes from the rest of the audience.
With every heartbreak comes elation. With every dramatic turn, there’s a positive or semi-positive resolution. And with every tear shed, a smile is not far away. Although it possibly won’t get a look-in at next year’s Academy Awards, Heart Of The Beast must take its place as one of the year’s finest movies. One that has us laughing, cheering, holding our breath, and crying buckets by the end. Trust me, this is no shaggy dog story. Instead, it is a well-plotted, well-written, well-directed, well-acted, and well-presented film. One that may feature being lost in the wilderness, but is anything but.
Heart Of The Beast is in cinemas from this weekend, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
