Greetings again from the darkness. Director David Ayer (the excellent END OF WATCH, 2012) is no fool. He wisely begins the movie by putting the audience at ease. Yes, the dog survives. We learn this in the opening scene he blocks the road of a pickup driver (Anna Lambe, “True Detective”). We immediately shift to flashback mode, unsure whether the dog’s owner is still alive. The first feature film screenplay from Cameron Alexander benefits immensely from a couple of key factors: stunning scenery and a touching bond between man (Oscar winner Brad Pitt) and dog (Odin, a properly renamed Uber).
Pitt plays James Belmont, retired after 30 years in Army Special Forces. His loyal companion, Odin, is a beautiful Shepherd who served as combat scout dog alongside James in multiple wars. Both carry their bodily and mental scars. Odin has been partially reassembled, including a prosthetic leg that doesn’t seem to slow him down. The two companions are now living a quiet life, close to nature, in the wilderness of Alaska. Well, it’s quiet except for multiple interruptions … some more dangerous than others.
One evening, an old-timer (Oscar winner JK Simmons) pulls up his canoe for a fireside chat with James. This allows us to learn some specifics about the background for man and ‘beast’. The geezer is gone by the next morning, and a storm forces James and Odin into an early departure. It’s one that ends badly, as a heart attack causes a horrific plane crash. James and Odin are battered, but survive and begin a 58 mile trek through harsh Alaskan wilderness. The dangers lurking in nature are many. Some you expect, some you don’t. One segment recalls THE GREY, while another poses a nature-made tree bridge over raging river waters.
I may not be the first to notice that Brad Pitt has a face seemingly designed for the big screen, yet this time, his co-star’s face is equally impressive. Odin is a stunning creature and the bond these two share carries zero Hollywood fluff, and is sure to capture the emotions of most viewers. In fact, you should have nothing to do with anyone who doesn’t at least well up a bit during this one. Pitt has reunited with Ayer, his director from FURY (2014), and this survival story may work even better as a love story.
Opens in theaters on September 25, 2026
