James Belmont is a former soldier living out his life with Odin, the dog he served alongside in the military. A plane trip to an Alaskan wilderness campsite goes horribly wrong following a plane crash, in which the two finds themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by unfamiliar terrain and dangerous wildlife. Will they survive the hike back to the civilized world?
Stories of survival are nothing new in the world of cinema, or in storytelling in general. HEART OF THE BEAST, from SUICIDE SQUAD director David Ayer, is the latest in an ever-growing array of them. Largely a one-man (and one-dog!) show, which thrills audiences with strong human and canine performances, as well as gorgeous cinematography. It’s not perfect, but thankfully doesn’t wear out its welcome.
Although there are brief supporting parts from other human actors, including Anna Lambe and JK Simmons (both of whom are unsurprisingly underused), it’s Brad Pitt’s solider character and his trusted canine companion that carry the movie. The bond between these two is certainly believable, and seeing them enjoying life and later being pitted against insurmountable odds makes for some great action scenes and emotional content. This isn’t the most original story ever told on film, bit Pitt and his dog (played by four different dogs according to the movie’s closing credits) bring it the humanity it needs.
Fortunately, the movie’s look is equally good. The beautiful cinematography of the Alaskan wilderness speaks for itself and demands to be seen on the big screen. HEART OF THE BEAST hits the emotional highs, and the gorgeous filming completes the package nicely.
A few minor issues do hold the film back from greatness. At times, the movie does expect its audience to believe a bit too much that’s implausible. For example, our human hero in one scene is clearly weakened by his heart issues, yet in another just a few scenes later, he’s perfectly capable of holding his breath to recover heavy packages from his plane wreck. Some moments like this that are a bit too unbelievable surface throughout the movie, though they fortunately don’t derail the experience in the long run.
HEART OF THE BEAST isn’t perfect. It doesn’t reinvent survival stories. But Brad Pitt and his canine companion combined with the gorgeous cinematography, setting, and survivalist scenes all come together nicely. It’s a well-made modern-day survival epic that should please most audiences. Recommended!