Heart of the Beast * Attempts To Tell A Meaningful Story But Riddled With Frustrating Inconsistencies
Heart of the Beast is an upcoming American survival thriller film directed by David Ayer, starring Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons. The movie marks a reunion between Pitt and director David Ayer for the first time since their 2014 World War II epic, Fury.
After surviving a plane crash, a former Special Forces soldier finds himself trapped in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog. Together, they battle the elements and other animals in a harsh landscape that would likely kill any other man or dog.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Valeria M. comments, “I found Heart of the Beast underwhelming. Despite its attempts to tell a meaningful story, the plot is riddled with frustrating inconsistencies, and Brad Pitt’s performance simply isn’t believable.” See her full review below.
Heart of The Beast By Valerie M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
I found Heart of the Beast underwhelming. Despite its attempts to tell a meaningful story, the plot is riddled with frustrating inconsistencies, and Brad Pitt’s performance simply isn’t believable.
The storyline follows James Belmont (Brad Pitt), a retired special forces operative traveling through Alaska with his retired army K-9, Odin, or Odey. After flying through a harsh lightning storm, James suffers a heart attack, loses consciousness and crashes into the frozen terrain. Stranded in the woods, he and Odin have to navigate nearly 60 miles through brutal Alaskan wilderness to reach the nearest road for help.
Odin is the true star of the film – delivering a far more expressive performance than his human companion. The one saving grace of the film is its beautiful cinematography by Mauro Fiore, filled with sweeping vistas of rich greens and cool blues. Sadly, the visual beauty is undermined by meaningless plot twists and pseudo-mystery. The first part of the film is primarily a montage of James and Odin moving through the woods, intercut with moments of life-altering injuries that James casually walks off. Billed as a survival thriller, the film pushes the suspension of disbelief way too far. On top of that, James just does things that make absolutely no logical sense — like getting dry clothes from a water-logged trunk. The pacing doesn’t help it; the opening drags on leaving moments of tension few and far between and frustratingly fleeting. Most disappointing is that we never learn about the key details of James’s life until the final scene – and by then, it’s too late. His heartbreaking story and meaningful message are lost beneath an endless loop of YouTube-style camping and nature videos. This movie is not horrible, it’s just vacuous. It failed to give me any reason to care for the characters or their story.
The film’s message is that the bond between a dog and its owner is unbreakable. Note that there is some profanity, various injuries, bloody images and death.
I give Heart of The Beast 2.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 through 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters on September 25, 2026.
