The end of the world is everywhere — it dictates our politics, plagues our sciences and influences our art. Despite the burgeoning universal contemplation of the apocalypse, cinema has always possessed the unique ability to transform disaster and dystopia into a story audiences swarm to watch. Where the post-apocalyptic cinematic canon falls into a bleak stereotype, director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Blade Runner) subverts our modern perception of dystopia, as The Dog Stars leaves room for hope at the end of the world.
Adapted from Peter Heller’s sci-fi novel of the same name, The Dog Stars is set in the year 2035 and follows retired mechanic and ex-pilot, Hig as he attempts to track down the remaining pockets of humanity. When an enigmatic radio transmission shows promise of life at an arcane location known as Grand Junction, Hig leaves behind his shared Colorado ranch turned survival bunker to seek out other survivors.
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein, Euphoria) stars as our rugged, Carhartt-clad protagonist and he is breathtaking — led by an intrinsic desire for human connection, Hig is unwaveringly kind, hopeful and moral. Elordi’s performance is understated and disarmingly charming, showcasing an unwavering understanding of his character, who I’m sure will quickly become a fan favourite. Heathcliff, Elvis, Nate Jacobs, The Creature and now Hig — with each creative endeavour, Elordi continues to showcase his boundless range as a performer — and has cemented (on several occasions) his position as a modern day movie star, less than a decade into his professional career.
The Dog Stars boasts an all-star cast who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Josh Brolin (Dune: Part Two), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) and Margaret Qualley (The Substance) all deliver stellar performances as Hig’s main companions throughout the film, offering sardonic humour, emotional depth and countless cigarette butts to the plot. The Dog Stars is arguably more a slice of life than a classic action film, but is comprised of numerous multifilmic high-octane sequences – the intensity of which can unbalance the tone of the film and offset adrenaline-junkie audiences who anticipated a stereotypical thriller.
Bookended by the gentle acoustics of Irish singer-songwriter Hozier’s ‘Like Real People Do’ and interwoven with countless shots of expansive, rich wilderness (filmed on location across Rome, notably the Dolomite mountains), there is no mistaking that The Dog Stars is a love letter to both the natural state of the Earth and of mankind.
The dichotomy between the outside world and Grand Junction acts a clever narrative device. The sudden overwhelm of vivid colour palettes, modern devices and artificial niceties which construct the faux American Dream locale, serve to accentuate the anomalous and unnatural position technology has in society. Grand Junction is a razor-sharp allegory (which, luckily, does not overstay its welcome) for the absurdist reality in which mankind currently find themselves, catalysed through their exponential dependency on devices for survival.
Scott strips his protagonists of their contemporary technology, and as they attempt to navigate Earth with the sole instinctual desire to survive, they are reminded it is the simple things worth living for. As we audiences seek shelter in a cinema screen away from our own modern dystopia, The Dog Stars reminds us that hope can be found in people, music and nature — only Ridley Scott could’ve made the end of the world feel so beautiful.
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In Cinemas from August 28th / Dir. Ridley Scott / Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong / 20th Century Studios / 15
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