Heart of the Beast is the kind of simple, old-school survival movie that knows exactly what it wants to be — and honestly, I had a great time with it.
David Ayer’s new film stars Brad Pitt as an Army veteran who, along with his veteran combat dog Odin, finds himself stranded in the wilderness after their plane goes down. From there, it’s basically a fight to survive as the two of them battle the elements, injuries, bears, wolves, freezing water, and whatever else the wilderness throws at them. But more than anything, it’s a story about a man and his dog relying on each other.
And if you’re a dog person, this movie is going to get you.
Pitt is having a great time here. He’s worked with Ayer before in Fury, arguably one of his best movies, and this feels like another great showcase for him as a movie star. It’s a very physical, worn-down performance, with Pitt spending most of the movie trudging through the wilderness trying to get himself and Odin home. You can feel the exhaustion and desperation, but there’s also a genuine warmth to his relationship with the dog.
And then there’s Odin, a.k.a. Odie, who absolutely steals the movie. He’s a veteran combat dog who has literally been through war with Pitt’s character, and their bond is the entire emotional foundation of the film. Pitt and Odin have fantastic chemistry, and you can genuinely tell Pitt is having a blast working with this dog. Odin is a very good boy, and he gives one hell of a performance.
The movie itself is pretty straightforward and, at times, extremely predictable. In fact, I wasn’t crazy about the way it opens because it immediately makes you start thinking, Okay, either Brad Pitt is going to die or the dog is going to die, because there’s no way this movie is giving us a happy ending. It’s also pretty formulaic, and you can usually see where things are heading.
But honestly? Who cares.
There’s something incredibly effective about watching these two just keep pushing forward. You know where the movie is going, but you still find yourself hoping for the best. It reminded me a lot of The Grey with its battle against the elements, and there are shades of I Am Legend in the central human-and-dog relationship. The first 20 or 25 minutes also gave me The Dog Stars vibes, particularly in the way it establishes the relationship between the man and his dog.
And that relationship is what makes the movie work.
The final 15 minutes absolutely got me. It will get you. The movie knows exactly which emotional buttons to push, and a powerful score helps amplify everything. I’m not ashamed to admit it: this movie made me emotional. You’re watching these two characters desperately trying to make it home, and even when you know exactly what kind of movie you’re watching, you can’t help but want that happy ending.
J.K. Simmons also shows up for a brief role, maybe ten minutes or so, and he’s great in his small part. But this movie belongs to Brad Pitt and Odin.
There isn’t really a ton of complexity here. It’s a simple premise, a simple story, and a very straightforward survival movie. But that doesn’t take away from how much I enjoyed it. Sometimes you just want to watch a movie star do movie-star shit, and that’s exactly what Brad Pitt is doing here — while also getting to spend two hours with an incredibly good dog.
And it’s nice to see David Ayer cooking again. I loved Fury, and I think Ayer has struggled to find that same footing in the years since. Heart of the Beast feels like a return to the kind of gritty, physical filmmaking he does really well.
It’s rough. It’s emotional. It’s predictable. It’s got bears, wolves, freezing water, injuries, Brad Pitt, and one very good boy.
If you love dogs, go see this movie. Just bring some tissues.
Heart of The Beast = 76/100
