‘Heart of the Beast’ shows the length a man’s best friend will go to save his owner…and what it can cost

By Becca Taylor

Have you ever watched a dog movie where the dog actually lives? This is no surprise in director David Ayer’s “Heart of the Beast,” which features only four total actors. Three if you only count human actors. However, Odin (Uber) is no ordinary dog. And his owner, James Belmont (Brad Pitt), is no ordinary man. 

Within the first minute of the movie, the audience is immediately introduced to Odin, a highly-trained military K9, standing in the middle of a road next to a vast forest. Following that minute, a young woman in a music-filled truck pulls up to him, confused at the German Shepherd in front of her vehicle. The story then flashes back to one week earlier.

James Belmont, a retired Army Special Forces Sergeant, and his loyal dog Odin, land their plane in the frigid waters of Alaska and set up a tent near the forest, tucked away from the world for what they hope to be a scenic camping trip. Catching fish. Drawing. Bird watching. Playing with the bite sleeve. 

On one of their many small adventures, they come in contact with Watkins (J.K. Simmons), a former gold miner whose mischievous attitude acts as a contrast to James Belmont’s stoic one. Prior to this odd encounter, Watkins has already made himself at home next to James’ camp site. The two men share some exotic Belgian beer around a fire and bring up stories of their past times in their line of work. 

This seems like any typical manly encounter in the woods. Both men are at peace with their past demons. Both have settled far away from anything that could cause them to return. That is what James and Odin think. 

As a storm brews in the distance in the middle of the night, Watkins snags one more Belgian beer in exchange for a book and boats his way back to wherever he emerged from. 

This sets the stage for the next morning and the rest of the movie. Between James and Odin, they must trek 58 miles to find the nearest road and gain contact with the rest of the world. The movie takes a dark turn as they encounter storms, dangerous wildlife, rivers and injuries – not to mention the PTSD both retired veterans deal with each night. Throughout this, both man and man’s best friend need to work together to overcome their nature-driven obstacles. 

“Heart of the Beast” is a film that highlights the seriousness of PTSD and trauma that military K9’s and soldiers battle with after the war is over. As James and Odin face one last mission, they must conquer these struggles side by side. This causes the audience to not only witness their perseverance, but persevere alongside the characters.

Not only does David Ayer get this point across, but he also throws in war flashbacks throughout the entire film, bringing the audience back to the combat-filled days just as Odin and James do. This is a depth many films struggle to present, and Brad Pitt does a phenomenal job at portraying his traumatized character in a light that most audiences would never think of. 

It is also worthy to note that the entire movie is filmed in the great outdoors, with unexpected weather conditions at every moment. Brad Pitt made a great effort to familiarize himself in tactical survival for his role as James, and Uber was perfectly trained for his role as Odin due to his background as a retired search-and-rescue dog. Both actors bonded daily within a kennel – slobber included.

I would not recommend this as a feel-good dog film to any person. It is deeper than that, and feel-good is not an appropriate term to use. However, I would recommend this film to anyone hunting for an action packed, loyalty driven and when-will-the-pain-end type of plot. 

“Heart of the Beast” is currently playing in theaters.

Becca Taylor is a freshman Professional Writing and Information Design major and A&E Writer. She is now missing her two dogs who live two and a half hours away. 

Images courtesy of Crave Films, Domain Entertainment and Gulfstream Pictures