Heart of the Beast Is a Long Trek With Little Payoff

Heart of the Beast is a truly gruelling cinematic experience.

Brad Pitt stars as James Belmont, a retired Army Special Forces veteran stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash with Odin, his retired military combat dog. With no rescue in sight, the two have to trek nearly 60 miles through freezing terrain, dangerous wildlife, and the shared trauma of their military past.

Unfortunately, Heart of the Beast takes forever to get moving. The movie does shine a light on military service dogs and the bond they form with the people they serve alongside. Uber, the dog playing Odin, deserves all the accolades because he’s easily the most compelling part of the movie.

The first two acts are beautiful, but ultimately boring. The Alaskan wilderness is stunning, but the survival story feels like a collection of things we’ve seen in countless other movies. Plane crash. Freezing temperatures. Wildlife. Injuries. Keep walking. Repeat. All involving the dog, by the way.

I almost felt guilty for not being more invested. The movie clearly wants us to care deeply about James and Odin, but for most of the runtime, I was waiting for something to really pull me in.