Review: Heart of the Beast

Brad Pitt takes on the wilderness alongside a four-legged co-star in Heart of the Beast, and surprisingly, it was the relationship between him and his dog that I ended up loving the most about the film. Pitt plays James, a former Special Forces soldier who finds himself stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with his dog, Odin. What follows is essentially a story of the two of them trying to survive and find their way back home, while we slowly learn more about everything they’ve already been through together.

I thought Heart of the Beast was a really good film. The story itself is actually pretty simple, and a lot of the movie is just James and Odin trying to survive, but I was surprised by how quickly it went by. I never really felt bored watching it because there was always something happening. And James seriously goes through it in this movie. There were so many moments where I was sitting there thinking, how much more can this guy possibly take? He’s basically getting beat up by the wilderness the entire time, and every time it feels like he might finally catch a break, something else happens. I actually found that part really entertaining because it kept the survival aspect of the story interesting even when so much of the film is just him and Odin.

But I think what really made Heart of the Beast work for me was their relationship.

As a pet owner, there is something really touching about watching how much James cares about Odin and how much they depend on each other. Odin isn’t just a dog following him around throughout the wilderness. You really get the feeling that these two have been through so much together and that their relationship is a huge part of what keeps James going. And obviously, anytime you put an animal in danger in a movie, I’m immediately stressed.

There are so many moments where you’re not only wondering whether James is going to survive, but whether Odin is going to be okay too. Watching everything they manage to survive together makes you even more invested in their relationship as the movie continues.

Brad Pitt also does a great job in the role, especially because so much of the movie depends on him. There aren’t a ton of characters around him for most of the story, so he has to carry a lot of the film alongside Odin. I think that simplicity actually worked because it allowed their relationship to really become the heart of the story.

I also liked that underneath the survival aspect, you slowly understand that James and Odin have already survived a lot together before we even meet them. It gives their bond more meaning and makes some of the emotional moments between them hit a little harder. Heart of the Beast is ultimately a pretty simple survival story, but I think that’s also part of what I enjoyed about it. You have Brad Pitt getting absolutely put through it in the wilderness, some genuinely intense survival moments, and at the centre of everything, this really beautiful relationship between a man and his dog.

If you’re a dog owner, or honestly any kind of pet owner, I think this one is probably going to hit a little differently.

Watch the trailer for Heart of the Beast below

Paramount Pictures releases Heart of the Beast in theatres Septemeber 25, 2026