The Wasteland Reviewer

The Dog Stars (2026) Written Review

What will the fall of humanity look like? There have been countless versions of post-apocalyptic worlds where something has pushed humanity past the brink of civilization. You have seen countless diseases arrive and decimate the human population or transform them into something much darker. War, of course, is such a terrifying and destructive force that has done it as well. Natural disasters have shown their power over humanity and changed human life forever. But the challenge is finding new and fresh ways of exploring this fall and the aftermath. There are endless films which means there are few opportunities to deliver something worthwhile. But that won’t stop one of film’s most prolific directors (who is pushing 90 years old) Ridley Scott from adapting such a story as The Dog Stars for the biggest screen possible. 

What does Scott bring to this film so late into his career? There have been many questions about Scott as a director recently as his most recent projects feel like they lack the power of his most iconic films. But one thing you cannot argue with is that he still knows how to leverage impressive technical prowess to bring a story to life. Sure, the over-reliance on CGI has been a problem in some of his films recently (especially Gladiator 2) but with The Dog Stars, you get effective and engrossing experience. The world building is not the most unique out there in post-apocalyptic storytelling but there is a strong visual palette. There is grit to the whole film that Scott and cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt realize palpably. There are some thrilling elements to the film with some bloody mayhem that capture the lack of humanity left in many folks. The Dog Stars has its thrills sprinkled throughout the film, but the pacing is quite uneven. When the action is going, the film feels like it has urgency. Scott struggles for most of the film, though, in finding the energy to keep the audience fully invested. The pacing in the film is seriously uneven, which makes the experience a bit of a slog at times. The music composed by Harry Gregson-Williams as well as other music in the film provides some personality and atmosphere. Listless for sure but you still have a legendary director behind the camera which makes it worthwhile. 

Does Mark L. Smith’s screenplay do justice in bringing Peter Heller’s book to life? One of the most noticeable shortcomings of the film is the scattered, unfocused, and listless script. The narrative does not have a lot of focus nor a direction that guides it. There is a single idea that drives our protagonist, but all the characters find themselves on a directionless ride through the wasteland that the world has become. The film also relies on many familiar elements of other, stronger dystopian films. The “disease kills humanity” trope has been quite saturated lately in pop culture and The Dog Stars doesn’t find its avenue to make it feel fresh or interesting. The film does lay some solid groundwork for our protagonist, Hig, who lost his wife to this disease which gives him a tragic yet empathetic backstory. His journey to find new meaning in life does lead to a new romantic interest (Margaret Qualley’s Cima) which is not the most interesting element of the film. But his struggle to overcome thoughts of suicide by plane crash is a dark and looming element to the story. Hig’s ability as a pilot is certainly one of the freshest elements of the story as it opens the door to some striking visuals and expanded world building. You are not going to find many new perspectives or ideas in The Dog Stars, and it does struggle with its wandering nature but at least it is a well-made film with enough interesting scenes and conflicts to keep you mostly engaged. 

Can this talented cast elevate the overly familiar material they are saddled with? Jacob Elordi is a talented performer and with the right role, can excel quite well. With The Dog Stars, he has enough pain to navigate that allows for a fine performance. Qualley is unfortunately wasted for most of the film (but does find a few moments that shine in the quieter moments). One of the best elements of the film is the grizzled and brash character of Bangley. Josh Brolin brings brute force of charisma and presence to deliver good laughs when the film needs it as well as the physicality to sell some of the more intense thriller elements of the story. Brolin is not the only veteran actor who brings presence and impact through his sheer talent and experience. Guy Pearce is always a great addition, and he delivers a strong performance as well. The audience even gets treated to a few memorable and charismatic turns from the likes of Allison Janney and Benedict Wong. 

Does Scott find himself in the “win” column with The Dog Stars? Like most of his recent films, this is clearly a flawed film and cinematic experience. The filmmaking is there to deliver enough thrills and emotion to make it a solid outing. Unfortunately, this film just feels uninspired compared to shows like The Last of Us and films like The Road. The strong cast goes to decent lengths to add layers to the experience despite the film being so clunky. At the end of the day, this is a net positive and a film of modest quality.