Black Dog boasts stunning photography, with wide shots, pans, and tracks capturing the vastness of the Gobi Deserts and the desolation of the town where our story takes place.
The quiet but cool protagonist and his dog share amazing chemistry, with touching parallelisms to their “stray dogs” behaviour and relation to society and their surroundings.
Unfortunately, the other stories in the film, particularly the love story, fail to reach the same level of engagement and quality.

Elevated by a stellar performance of Ralph Fiennes, who brings depth to a PTSD-ridden Odysseus filled with a sense of guilt and shame. The story thrives in its lack of focus on the usual looks on the travel to Ithaca and the occurrences in Troy, as well as it manages to reach a serene yet powerful climax, leaving a lasting impact.
However, elements to enhance the Greek tragedy undertone, such as the fact the no one seems to recognise Odysseus, seems absurd. While at the same time, the threat that the thugs that control Ithaca and drive the narrative forward seems like an unjustified danger.
Finally, it is unfortunate that the performance of Charlie Plummer as Telemachus is quite underwhelming. Even a 10-second scene with Odysseus’ dying dog feels more powerful than any of his appearances.

This movie explores a unique fatherhood story blending AI and human elements, and its emotional depth and sacrifice theme make for a captivating narrative.

The storyline is the film’s strongest asset, drawing viewers in with its originality.

However, the set design, particularly the house, adds a sense of stress that doesn’t always enhance the film.

The characters, unfortunately, come across as boring and bland, failing to leave a lasting impression. Overall, a mixed experience with a compelling core.

This Vietnamese horror starts strong with an intense portrayal of the bullying suffered by the main character due to her looks, making viewers empathise with the character’s quest for revenge.

However, the romance subplots are overly sweet and detracts from the film’s darker tones and the horror elements in the second half feel somewhat rushed, with questionable decisions in the way action sequences, and editing is approached.

While the title character is compelling the, the rest of the cast lacks depth and development, making it a mixed bag overall.

Clearly influenced by John Ford’s work, particularly The Searchers (1956), both in story and style, this film is average in all its characteristics.
Full disclosure, it’s a highly uncomfortable and difficult watch due to a plot filled with deeply misogynistic characters.