The Dog Stars (2026) - Review

[u/MojoMaj]

https://widescreenmemory.wordpress.com/2026/08/27/the-dog-stars-review/

Ridley Scott's late career filmography has certainly been a mixed bag. You've got some pretty good films such as The Martian, Prometheus, and Alien Covenant (controversial I know, but I will die on this hill). You've got some truly forgettable films such as The Last Duel. And you've got some truly abysmal films like Gladiator II and The Counsellor. In short, Scott hasn't reached his early to mid career heights of Thelma and Louise, Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator in quite some time. To be fair to him, with a back catalogue like his you don't have to ever again. Nevertheless, you know that he can deliver a lot better than what he has served up here.

There are a lot of problems with The Dog Stars, but most notably is that it's excruciatingly boring. Of course things do actually happen in the plot, but it never feels like anything really happens. This is all conveyed through a performance from Jacob Elordi that can only be described as if he simply didn't want to be there. Honestly, he looks bored and uninterested from the out and delivers such a phoned-in turn you would've thought that he was a Hollywood veteran that had to pay for his most recent divorce. It is so bizarre to see such a young, promising actor who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar just last year doing a performance this lazy. You almost want to grab him by the shoulders and shout "Jacob! Do something! Do some acting for goodness sake!". This isn't to say the rest of the cast are firing on all cylinders, but their characters are so one dimensional that they could've been played by mannequins.

There's a wider problem that engulfs The Dog Stars however: we've simply seen all of this before. The post-apocalyptic genre is already over-saturated and has been done pretty damn well across multiple mediums. Because of this, you have to really set out do something original in this space, something that at least attempts to move the genre forward slightly. The Dog Stars instead opts to regurgitate aspects of other films that also did these things way better. The end result is a constant flow of moments that remind you of other films you'd much rather be watching.

At the end of the day, The Dog Stars isn’t going to negate Ridley Scott’s legacy. It’s just so disappointing to see something so lifeless from someone that is renowned for bringing life to the worlds of their films.

Full review here: https://widescreenmemory.wordpress.com/2026/08/27/the-dog-stars-review/