David Ayer’s Heart of the Beast stars Brad Pitt as a retired Army Special Forces Green Beret who has endured some hellacious combat and witnessed things no person should ever have to see.
Looking to get away from it all, he heads into the Alaskan wilderness with his canine companion, Odin, who served in the military with him. Odin saw combat, too, and wears a prosthetic leg to help him move around. Both suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and this trip offers a chance to find some peace.
Pitt looks incredible in the film. It’s hard to believe he’s in his 60s. He’s always struck me as a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body. He inhabits these peculiar roles through small choices that tell you so much about a character. Whether it’s the style of a tattoo, the hair or the type of beer a character drinks, these are the details Pitt has always used so well to bring a character to life.
Ayer, a Navy veteran himself, has shown what he can do with action in The Beekeeper and A Working Man. His Suicide Squad had some great action moments, too. His exploration of war in Fury, also with Pitt, makes this reunion feel especially fitting.
With Pitt and Odin carrying most of the movie, Ayer gives the quieter moments room to breathe before raising the tension again. He gets that balance right, and Pitt gives a phenomenal performance.
Their trip turns into a fight for survival against bears, wolves and freezing cold, made even harder by their own health struggles. Each new danger becomes harder to watch because you care so much about both of them.
I saw the movie at a special screening a couple of weeks ago, alongside military service members. I’ve never seen combat, and I was sitting with men and women who have. I will tell you, there was a roller coaster of emotions throughout this movie. You feel relieved. You feel happy. You feel exhilarated. You feel frightened. At times, you’re brought to tears, and ultimately your heart is warmed.
If there were a category for best performance by an animal at the Academy Awards, Odin would clean up this awards season. I think it’s the best performance by a dog since Toto in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, and that’s not just a joke. Go back and look at Toto. He was killer in that movie. You can’t help but fall in love with Odin.
The main dog playing Odin is actually named Uber. Ayer told GQ that Uber belonged to a mountain-rescue first responder and shared the role with his three sons, Seeka, Ryker and Hondo. So there’s a real story behind the dog you’re watching, too.
The bond between Odin and Pitt’s character gives the movie its emotional pull. It also leaves you thinking about all the dogs out there looking for a forever home. It’s a brisk, emotional journey.
I could have done with fewer combat flashbacks. I understand what those moments are meant to convey, but the story Pitt and Odin were telling was already so strong that I didn’t need them to understand their trauma.
Odin’s battle wounds and the overall aura of Pitt’s character tell you these two have been through something. I thought leaving more of that history offscreen could have made their present struggle even more powerful.
Still, I understand Ayer’s decision to show what they went through. We recognize the dangers our service members face and appreciate their sacrifices. What some people may not realize is how much these military dogs go through alongside them.
Heart of the Beast is one of my favorite films of the year. Go in with a box of tissues. Don’t keep the popcorn in your lap because it’ll end up everywhere once you start squirming in your seat and jumping up.
This is one you want to experience in a theater. The lights are low enough that even if you shed a tear, you feel safe doing so. I can’t recommend this movie enough, and I think it’s going to surprise so many people.
