HEART OF THE BEAST : Tuesday 29th September 2026

I saw the M Rated 'HEART OF THE BEAST' earlier this week, and this American survival thriller film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Ayer who made his feature film Directorial debut with 'Harsh Times' in 2005, and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Street Kings' in 2008, 'End of Watch' in 2012, 'Fury' in 2014, 'Suicide Squad' in 2016, 'Bright' in 2017, 'The Beekeeper' in 2024 and 'A Working Man' in 2025. This film was released in Australia and the US last week, having been shown out of competition at the recent San Sebastian International Film Festival on 22nd September, has garnered generally positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$56M from its US$82M production budget. 

The film opens up with what appears to be a stray German Shepherd dog stood in the middle of a deserted road somewhere in Alaska on a bright sunny day. A young woman (Anna Lambe) pulls up close by in her Ford pick-up truck, gets out of the car and walks gingerly toward the still motionless canine, looking on at the approaching woman. We then back track one week to a light sea plane flying high above the Alaskan mountain tops and glaciers, piloted by former Special Forces Officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt, who also Co-Produces here) and his retired combat dog Odin (Uber). Eventually, Belmont lands their plane on a remote lake, and sets up camp for the night. Both retired veterans suffer from PTSD and vivid nightmares from their time spent in combat missions in the world's more volatile hot spots. 

The next day, while out exploring the surrounding forest, Belmont cautiously encounters Watkins (J.K. Simmons), an outgoing stranger. They strike up, at first, an uneasy conversation, and Watkins sets up camp next to Belmont and they talk into the night around a camp fire and knocking back a few Belgian beers, about how they all came to be in this remote part of the world, and what they did in their past lives. The next morning, Watkins departs at day break in his kayak, and leaves Belmont a book in exchange for a beer he had taken from the camp overnight, highlighting a particular passage. 

Later that same morning, and with a storm closing in Belmont and Odin pack up and depart by plane, and flying above the clouds to get out of the storm front. Mid-flight however, Belmont suffers a heart attack and collapses unconscious at the controls, and losing altitude the plane descends rapidly into a heavily wooded forest and crashes into a lake coming to rest upside down in about five metres of water. Odin is ejected from the Cessna Skywagon plane during the crash. Belmont swims free to the nearby lake shore and goes in search of Odin, finding him nearby, weak but still alive. He returns to the wreckage and dives down to salvage his gear. After a day or so Odin's condition improves, and so the pair set out on foot to hike back to the nearest road and hence civilisation, which is about 58 miles away, according to Belmont's calculations.

During their journey, they are confronted by a huge grizzly bear, which Odin faces down until it retreats. They later reach a precarious moss covered wooden bridge like structure made up of two long fallen trees that spans a valley with a fast flowing river below. Belmont slips and Odin has to be swung to safety, but in doing so Belmont falls into the rapids below, and being carried downstream he sustains various knocks to his head and gets his arm wedged between rocks and breaking it. Odin chases Belmont as he is carried downstream, and when he reaches calmer waters, Odin drags him to shore, then helps him reset the compound fracture to his lower arm. Using the First Aid kit that Odin carries with him in a vest, Belmont bandages himself up and places his injured arm in a sling. 

Continuing their hike back to the road, they come to a clearing in the forest and in the near distance, they spot a pack of grey wolves attacking a moose calf, so they decide to retreat, and take the long way round to avoid alerting the wolves of their presence. However, the pair are subsequently stalked and then ambushed by the pack of wolves. Belmont attempts to fend off the attack using a spear and a hunting knife, while Odin attacks the wolves, although Belmont is pulled in all directions by three attacking wolves and is severely bitten in the stomach, but in the process he kills the alpha male. Belmont then patches up his stomach wound again using the First Aid kit, and continues onward. They reach a swamp which they must wade through to get to the road that lies in the distance beyond. Suffering from two serious wounds, Belmont becomes trapped under a downed tree truck in the brown murky water, but emerges the other side gasping for air. 

Weakened and unable to continue, they come to rest on a rocky outcrop. Belmont writes a note recording his final wishes for Odin, along with an account of their ordeal, and clear instructions that Odin suffers PTSD, his eating habits, his favourite games, and the commands that he responds to, but warning never to say the word 'bite' unless in the event of an emergency or if you should be in danger, for Odin, it was revealed early on, has titanium teeth thanks to an insurgent hurling a brick at Odin during his active duty and which took his teeth out. Belmont shot that insurgent in the head. Belmont also leaves the rest of his money for whoever takes Odin in, and says not to come looking for his body as he has given himself up to the wilderness. Belmont bleeds out from his wounds overnight and dies and Odin stays with him until the morning. Odin leaves his side and reaches the nearby road, where he is found by the young woman in the Ford pick-up truck, who reads Belmont's note. She embraces him, and he jumps in the vehicle and the pair drive off together. 

In a pre-credits scroll, we are told that some three thousand combat dogs served in active duty in modern times and helped save thousands of soldiers lives. Upon retirement those dogs are rehomed with caring and loving families. 

In crafting 'Heart of the Beast' Director David Ayer has given us perhaps his most pared back movie yet. Beautifully and astutely filmed in and around Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand standing in for the Alaskan wilderness, this film has tense and exciting set pieces, paired with moments of real tenderness and emotion that shows the very real bond that exists between man and his canine best friend. Two battle hardened souls that have witnessed the worst man can do and the best that man can do too, and who just want to spend their lives together in peace, quiet and as far away from those war torn locations as possible. Brad Pitt delivers a compelling performance, but this film belongs to Uber, who deserves a Best Actor nomination at the 2027 Academy Awards or at least the Palm Dog Award at next years Cannes Film Festival. Bring a pack of Kleenex tissues, because the ending is a real tear jerker, and for dog owners everywhere, you'll understand why. 

'Heart of the Beast' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-