Heart of the Beast: Brad Pitt Is Great, but the Dog Steals the Show

My wife and I went to see Heart of the Beast in theaters, and I came out of it thinking about how much restraint it takes to make a survival film this good.

It's a beautiful film, incredibly well made and well planned. Brad Pitt is phenomenal, which at this point is hardly news. J.K. Simmons is excellent too, and honestly left me wanting more of him and his character, though I understand why his part is as short as it is.

But the dog steals the show. Odin is played by Uber, a real search-and-rescue dog who shares the role with three of his own sons. I don't think I've seen acting to that degree from a dog since Indy in Good Boy. The chemistry between Uber and Pitt is real. I'd guess they trained and spent a lot of time together before filming, and you can feel it in every scene they share. Fun fact: the dog is first on the call sheet, ahead of Brad Pitt.

The cinematography is gorgeous: sweeping landscapes, and some great aviation scenes with the plane, which I'm always a fan of as a big aviation nerd myself. The score impressed me just as much, mostly for knowing when to stay out of the way. Survival movies tend to lean hard on their soundtrack. This one leans on the sounds of nature and the ambience around its characters, and saves the big, powerful cues for the moments that need them. It doesn't rely on music for its emotion. It lets the acting, the landscapes and the bond between man and dog carry it.

I'm a huge fan of survival films, and of stories about persistence and perseverance, and this one has all of that. It also touches on PTSD and military psychology without leaning too hard into either, and it does a good job of capturing what military working dogs are: extremely well trained, extremely intuitive, and lifesavers.

And yes, it's a dog movie. It made my wife cry three times, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little teared up at least once. But not for the reason that might keep some people away: the dog lives. The film shows you that in its very first scene, a flash forward, so you can watch without bracing for the worst.

Well paced, well written, beautiful to look at, and carried by one incredible dog. It's a film I'd happily watch again.