“You’re not there anymore. It’s all just a bad dream. Just a dream.”
Story: James Belmont is a retired Special Forces vet who adopted his combat dog Odin after he too left service. With physical and mental scars on both man and beast, the two head out to the boonies of Alaska for some well deserved R&R. But when James has a heart attack while piloting their aircraft, they’re left in the middle of a beautiful, but decidedly unfriendly, wilderness. So the trek to civilization begins.
Genre I’d put it in: That’s A Good Pup Right There Stories
Release Date: 2026
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Original, but based on real-life combat dogs and what they go through before, during, and after their service.
Animals okay?: You came here because a dog’s on the poster. Babby survives.
Special Shout-out: As the unnamed woman we see driving up to Odin in the beginning and ending of the film, Anna Lambe conveys a whole lot of emotion in the short time she’s on screen.
Gotta say: I have to apologize to everyone sitting even remotely near me at last night’s screening. Because I’m sure y’all got sick of me clutching my chest and saying “oh doggo you’re the best boy aren’t youuuu” over and over again. I regret nothing. If anything, this absolute unit of adorableness from Fidos For Freedom amped me up before the film, so I was predisposed to fawn. That said, Beast is a moving story about the bond a man and his dog can develop, and how bonds forged in fire can overcome almost any obstacle.
Odin (real-life search and rescue dog Uber) is an absolute gorgeous specimen of a German Shepherd. In real life, Uber has all four legs and no scars. But here, Odin – aka “Odie” – is missing half of his right front leg, and his face holds scars from seeing serious combat. In flashback scenes, we see what James and Odin went through on the battlefield, and how those scars got there. James isn’t unscathed; with cuts, bullet hole scars, and PTSD he shares with Odin, they’re both living testaments to the power of survival. As James, Brad Pitt is a stoic hero, one who’s mind can’t shake the battles once night falls. Odin has similar dreams, and director David Ayer cuts from the rich color of the “Alaskan” (nee New Zeland) wilderness to a sepia-toned dreamscape each time either one of our leads remembers their past. It’s a simple editing tool, but extremely effective here.
At a little over an hour and a half, Beast sometimes feels as if you’re slogging around with James and Odin. Their path seems to go on forever, with many problems they need to deal with, from rations to wild animals, slippery steps to chest-deep sludge. Cinematographer Mauro Fiore’s keen eye shifts the views from breathtaking to terrifying to exhausting with a shift of perspective and color. (Figures; he won an Oscar for his work on Avatar.) While I was watching the film, I often wondered if they were ever going to make it, and then I realized that was the whole point. This is Man & Dog vs. Nature at it’s most realistic. There are moments of terror, but for the most part, it’s a slog getting from one place to another.
Let’s not forget James is constantly dealing with the after-effects of the heart attack that he couldn’t get treatment for. Watching him mainlining his small bottle of aspirin throughout the film – yet still having heart attack symptoms – is heartbreaking. And also frustrating for my heart patient self. Because while I know this is a story of survival and trying to best the wilderness even when it seems everything is against you? I couldn’t stop thinking that there was no way in hell he’d be able to do all that while suffering through a heart attack. Yes, Brad, you’re a manly man. And James is obviously a top-notch veteran whose survival skills are peak. However, every time he’d pull off a Rambo-esque move? My inability to get past my brain screaming “OH HELL NO BUBBA NO YOU WOULD’T”.
Okay, I’m better now. And if, unlike me, you can get past the fact that James’ abilities are pure and utter fantasy? You will absolutely love Beast. It’s got heart, soul, a touching bond, flashbacks that will grab you, moments of their trek that will terrify you, and an ending that will touch your heart. Yes, this is what some would call a Dude Movie. This story is sure to stir the blood of my brethren. But to paraphrase that old Irish Spring commercial? Manly, yes. But even with my stupid brain? I liked it too. I think you will too.
#Protip: As a heart attack survivor, please for the love of little green apples, if you have chest pains and aren’t in the middle of nowhere? Get some help immediately. It will quite literally save your life. The world’s better with you in it.
