By Charlie Thompson, Guest Writer
Ridley Scott’s new film “The Dog Stars” is somehow a boring mess that seems to take all of the worst parts of better movies and combine them into one singular pile of mediocrity.
“The Dog Stars” features Jacob Elordi in the leading role, Hig, as a survivor of a pandemic that wiped out a large portion of the Earth’s population. In this post-apocalyptic world, Elordi searches for the origin of a radio transmission he received from his airplane while he and his co-star, Josh Brolin, survive attacks from those who still wander what’s left of the U.S. On his journey, he finds another group of survivors that helps him learn how to live again.
I really did not like this movie. I’ll start with my biggest complaint, which was the horrendous script. Not a single person in this film talks like a real human being, and the simplicity of the dialogue made me want to rip my hair out. This is most prevalent in the first act, which features very on-the-nose conversations about society’s collapse to really get the point across that this world is not the same as ours.
The problem does not get better as the movie goes on. With that kind of dialogue, the characters feel completely lifeless and numb to the viewer, especially Hig’s character, who is pretty much a boulder whenever he is on screen.
Jacob Elordi’s performance as the lead in “The Dog Stars” forces us to ask the question, “Is he a good actor or just hot?”
Equally as bad as the dialogue, the plot is all over the place. The film attempts to cover so many different genres without establishing anything remotely intriguing within them. It is wild that the runtime of this film is two hours, yet it gives the audience absolutely nothing to take away.
Other things I disliked include the shameless product placement of Carhartt, Taco Bell and Sprite during the first 10 minutes of the movie.
As for some positives, the movie’s cinematography is very good. Erik Messerschmidt does a truly incredible job with many of the shots, especially the aerial views of Elordi’s plane and the nighttime action sequences.
The production design of the film is also excellent. The clothes, towns and machines are perfect for the vibe of the film and really do contribute to the visual quality of the movie.
Lastly, there are some very good performances by the actors in this film. Josh Brolin, Allison Janney and Guy Pearce are very good in their respective roles and carry their scenes on their shoulders whenever they appear on screen.
These elements, however, are not enough to save this film from a ridiculous script and a stone-cold leading actor.
I will say that this Labor Day Weekend, do whatever brings you joy. Try a new restaurant, stare at the night sky, see a real movie like “The Odyssey,” “Coyote vs. ACME” or “Tony.” The only thing I ask of you is this: don’t see “The Dog Stars” unless you want to leave the theater unsatisfied and robbed of $12.50.