David Ayer's new survival drama «Heart of the Beast» has arrived to strong reviews, with critics largely united around one surprising conclusion: the film's breakout star is not Brad Pitt, but a three-legged combat dog named Odin.
The film follows a former special forces soldier who survives a plane crash and finds himself trapped in the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog. Together, the pair battle the elements and other animals in a landscape that would likely kill any other man or dog. Pitt leads the cast alongside J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. Ayer directs and produces with Pitt and Damien Chazelle.
The critical reception has been notably warm. The film holds a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 on Metacritic. Variety's Owen Glieberman awarded it 80 out of 100, writing that the dog who plays Odin delivers «one of the most affecting pieces of canine acting I've seen since the days of 'Old Yeller' and 'Lassie Come Home.'» He added that the bond between man and dog «emanates from the heart of both beasts, and that makes the film a journey stirring in its primacy.»
The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck also gave it 80 out of 100, noting that while the film «sometimes feels repetitive in its pile-up of perilous moments,» Ayer's direction and the fast-paced 101-minute running time «prevent monotony from sinking in.» The Telegraph's Robbie Collin rated it four out of five, calling it «the sturdiest entertainment of its type that they can craft,» and comparing the film's loyalty to that of Odin himself.
Several critics singled out Pitt's understated performance. IGN's Jim Vejvoda gave the film an 8 out of 10, writing that while it shares visceral elements with wilderness survival films like «The Grey» and «The Revenant,» what sets it apart is «the primal love and devotion between a man and his three-legged best friend.» He praised Pitt's «understated, at times heartbreaking performance» and called Odin «a canine screen hero to remember.»
The San Francisco Chronicle's Zaki Hasan awarded 75 out of 100, describing the film as «a monument to Brad Pitt's movie-star magnetism, undiminished after more than three decades perched atop Hollywood's A-list.» The Wrap's William Bibbiani gave 72 out of 100, calling it «functional» and noting that «most of its emotional crescendoes resonate.»
Not every review was glowing. The Daily Beast's Nick Schager found the film's tragedy «too preordained and schematic to truly inspire waterworks,» though he still praised Pitt's «robust and charismatic» performance and the dog's «unaffected reactions.» The Associated Press's Lindsey Bahr gave 2.5 out of 4, calling it «often predictable, occasionally implausible and sometimes even straight propaganda,» but conceded it is «an effectively thrilling adventure.» IndieWire's Ryan Lattanzio gave it a B-minus, noting the film is «better than it needed to be» and that audiences can «just enjoy it as a nice story about a man and his very good dog.»
The film marks a reunion between Ayer and Pitt, who previously worked together on «Fury.» Several critics noted the film's throwback efficiency and its appeal to dog lovers. Awards Radar's Joey Magidson predicted it «is going to become a favorite for dog lovers,» while MovieWeb's Charles Papadopolous observed that the story is «not simply a man's quest for survival» but also «about a man on borrowed time» using his remaining life to save his dog.
With its strong critical consensus and Pitt's star power, «Heart of the Beast» arrives as a sturdy, emotionally direct survival epic that knows exactly where its loyalties lie — squarely with the dog.