“Heart of the Beast” is certainly a movie which will touch many men, and will become their personality, however personally, there was absolutely nothing of substance for me to connect with.
Directed by David Ayer, who is well known for kinetic, hard-edged stories of brotherhood and perseverance, “Heart of the Beast” is a film which will resonate with fans of his style.
The movie tells the story of Sergeant Major James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and canine commando Odin as brothers-in-arms, each willing to do whatever it takes to keep the other alive.
After a harrowing plane crash, a Special Forces officer, Belmont, and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements.
“After surviving the unsurvivable in Iraq and Afghanistan, they face yet another challenge together,” said Ayer. “In my mind, James had made the dog a promise, something like, ‘If we survive this, I’m going to take you fishing’. There’s something magnetic about being stranded in the wilderness. We’ve all been cold. We’ve all been lost. We’ve all been hungry. This film takes audiences on that journey and makes them wonder, could I survive this?
“But it’s also the story of devoted partners that never give up on each other, that care more about each other’s safety than their own and who would sacrifice themselves for the other in a heartbeat,” said Ayer.
The movie will certainly speak to not only dog lovers, but also military veterans, and given the scale of the American military-industrial complex, that means it will connect with a lot of people.
Personally, there was little for me to connect with.
At every turn where Belmont and Odin fought the elements, and in which the viewer is meant to root for their perseverance, I just kept wondering why anyone would want to put themselves in such a situation.
They could have instead chosen a quiet farm life. Additionally, the thought also crossed my mind that this, the wilderness survival schtick, only happens to white people.
This is the second movie this year, alongside "The Dog Stars", to tackle such themes.
It is, however, clear how such a film ended up being made. It is relatively cheaper to make than a big blockbuster film, with only two central characters, a short cameo by J.K. Simmons and mother nature.
For the film’s producers, Damien Chazelle, the Oscar-winning director of "La La Land", and his partner Olivia Hamilton, however, it was the script.
Chazelle and Hamilton were introduced to “Heart of the Beast” by co-producer Richard Raymond after the screenplay was named to the 2017 Hollywood Blacklist, the annual list of the most-admired unproduced screenplays.
Screenwriter Cameron Alexander said that part of his inspiration for the film was his longstanding love of the outdoors and fascination with military culture.
“The simplicity of the script and its description of man versus wilderness grabbed us,” Hamilton said. “It didn’t try to be complicated, and it spoke to a broad audience. Yes, it’s an action and adventure movie, but there’s also a ton of heart.
“David has a way of connecting with the emotional, the mythical, the visceral experience of watching a film,” Hamilton said.
“He’s also ex-military himself, a submariner who enlisted at 19. He has stayed in touch with a lot of people in the military and was dedicated to making sure that every single detail on the screen was worthy of them. All the tiny details and nuggets in the film are drawn from real life.”
The movie will also certainly speak to those who enjoy films which are not plot-based, and just enjoy character tales. The performances by Pitt and his canine companion, Odin, work well enough to carry the story.
For people deeply in love with their dogs, they likely will be able to read into every micro-expression of Odin, and connect with the story of a man and his dog trying to survive against the odds.
It was fascinating watching the audience reaction in the cinema as people fell into two camps, either deeply unmoved, or wiping away tears from their face as the credits rolled.
Unfortunately, I fell into the former and not the latter.
“Heart of the Beast” is a movie which will either resonate with you deeply or leave you wholly underwhelmed. It is a solid enough movie that if you are looking for a Sunday afternoon watch this will work quite well.
“Heart of the Beast” releases in South Africa cinemas nationwide on 24 September 2026.
Rating: ★★(2/5). An enjoyable enough film but there was nothing for me here.