Heart of the Beast (2026)

Heart of the Beast is a dog movie that feels like it is trying very hard to make you cry. Brad Pitt spends most of the film channeling his inner Leonardo DiCaprio from The Revenant, playing a man struggling to make his way home through increasingly difficult circumstances. The problem is that the movie keeps pulling on the heartstrings so aggressively that it becomes obvious what emotion it wants from the audience. By the end, I was less emotionally invested and more ready for the movie to be over.

Brad Pitt carries the entire film on his back, which is both its biggest strength and its biggest problem. He does a decent job with the material, but there is only so much he can do when the movie keeps pushing the emotional beats so hard. His performance is what keeps the film watchable, but it also makes it obvious how little there is around him.

J.K. Simmons is technically in the movie, but only briefly. It is one of those appearances where you see a recognizable actor in the cast and then realize he barely has anything to do. Anna Lambe, meanwhile, was certainly a choice for the role, especially with the septum ring. I was not a fan of either the character or the performance, and her presence did little to make me more invested in the story.

Director David Ayer does not bring anything particularly distinctive to the film. The direction could have been handled by almost anyone because Brad Pitt is doing most of the heavy lifting. There is nothing especially memorable about the filmmaking, and the whole thing ultimately feels like a paycheck rather than a movie anyone involved was particularly passionate about making.

Overall, Heart of the Beast is nothing special. Brad Pitt does enough to keep it from completely falling apart, but the movie tries too hard to manipulate the audience emotionally and does not have enough substance to justify it. It is a straightforward dog movie with a familiar survival story, forgettable direction, and just enough heart to keep it from being completely disposable. By the time the credits rolled, I was mostly just glad it was over. Result: C+

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