SYNOPSIS
After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements. From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.
What We Thought:
I really dug Heart of the Beast. At its core it’s a wilderness survival flick, but it has so many layers to it and doesn’t end the way you expect it to which I appreciate. Sure it tackles man vs. nature, but it also tackles man vs. time, man vs. his own existence, man’s relationship with those around him whether human or animal, and what man leaves to others when his time is up.
Brad Pitt plays a former special forces type who heads to the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog. Both man and beast have seen and been through some stuff and this getaway is something they both need and crave. Pitt wants to be alone with his dog Odin to clear his head and Odin’s. Both have the type of training that one needs to survive alone and both have demons they need exorcised from them. They meet one other human which they aren’t happy about, but both know how to deal with unexpected situations. With a storm approaching Pitt decides they need to find another area so he packs up the plane and heads out. The film turns into a survival flick with both man and beast doing what they need to get through their latest mission.
After the screening someone asked me what I thought the heart of the beast was/meant. To me the beast in this situation is nature itself. The man and his dog were in the thick of it and nature doesn’t care if you make it or not. My interpretation might be a lot different than yours, but if you’ve ever had your own existential crisis in life you might see things a lot deeper than just the heart of the beast representing man or the dog. Yes you need the blood pumping heart to survive and Pitt’s character and Odin both are beasts in their own right, but if you dig into the layers of the film, you’ll find everything has multiple meanings.
With Heart of the Beast Brad Pitt proves yet again why he’s one of the best leading men of the past 25+ years. 99% of the movie is Pitt alone with his dog. You only see two other humans (besides military flashbacks) throughout the movie and Pitt captures and holds your attention throughout. Director David Ayer paints a beautiful backdrop with intense realistic action. Action scenes could rival the intensity of Lone Survivor or Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. I’m not a veteran, but have worked with and support a lot of veteran causes so I’m curious to see how the community reacts to the film. The ending completely works for me and nothing about the film feels cheated or wasted. It’s a nice, little surprise and I can see it being in my top ten for the year.
The Nerds Templar 