Heart of the Beast
review by Bobby Blakey
Director David Ayer has racked up an impressive resume with great films like Suicide Squad, Bright, End of Watch, Sabotage, The Beekeeper and A Working Man. In 2014 he teamed up with Brad Pitt for the tank war action film Fury and now are reteaming for the latest film Heart of the Beast co-starring J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe and Uber as “Odin”. Could this film bring the promised emotional journey, or will it get lost in the woods?
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Heart of the Beast follows Special Forces officer James Belmont and his combat dog, Odin, who find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness after a harrowing plane crash. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements. From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.
I love Ayer’s work so anytime he is at the helm I am all in. His film Fury is one of my favorites so seeing him reteam with Pitt was just another reason I wanted to see it. Heading into a film like this you already know that there are going to be some emotional struggles and then of course the usual fears of what will happen to the dog. No one ever cares what will happen to people, but the dog situation can make or break someone watching a film.
I am not going to spoil the film in any way but will tell you that this is a fantastic film with way more layers than you might expect. On the surface it is a survival film, but the true nature of the story is the strength of the relationship between Pitt and Odin. Nearly all the movie is just these two except for a great short appearance by J.K. Simmons who has a great interaction that also helps to tell more of Odin’s story.
Many war films have dealt with the sub issue of PTSD but thrusting it onto a dog
hit different. His own fears and trauma are heartbreaking, but also a reminder of the perseverance of these animals. It brings depth to Odin who on his own is all personality without becoming just a typical pet. He is intelligent, loyal and loving while still being a soldier in every way. His reactions and looks shared with Pitt are deep and resonate to their relationship and how far he will go for his best friend and partner.
The same can be said for Pitt who must carry the film alongside Odin and is fantastic. As really the only human on screen for most of its almost two-hour runtime he has a heavy load to carry emotionally and physically. The torment these two endure throughout the film is stressful and painful yet it’s still inspiring and heartfelt. Their relationship is the heart of it all and you care what happens to them. IU was engaged from beginning to end with not just the excitement of the action but even more so with their simple day to day relationship and living.
I figured the film would be good, but I loved it more than I thought I would. I think I was expecting the tear-jerking survival, but these two along with Ayer have delivered something more layered and great. I hope finds the audience it deserves as we don’t get enough films like this anymore.
Decide for yourself and check out Heart of the Beast in theaters now from Paramount.