{"id":1022972,"date":"2026-08-25T11:04:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T11:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1022972\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T11:04:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T11:04:16","slug":"the-dog-stars-first-reactions-to-ridley-scott-jacob-elordi-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1022972\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dog Stars: First Reactions to Ridley Scott, Jacob Elordi Film"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tRidley Scott<\/a> is back! The visionary filmmaker\u2019s latest feature The Dog Stars<\/a> hits theaters globally on Aug. 28. and early social media reaction suggests the post-apocalyptic\u00a0sci-fi film has plenty of Scott\u2019s visual flair but feelings were mixed over the script. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Dog Stars held its world premiere in London on Aug. 20 and 20th Century Studios<\/a> held a series of press screenings for the film over the last week. Attendees were allowed to post brief reactions on social media after screenings. Full critics reviews for the film are embargoed till Aug. 25. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe feature has an all-star cast, including Jacob Elordi<\/a>, Josh Brolin<\/a>, Margaret Qualley<\/a>, Alison Janney<\/a>, Guy Pearce<\/a> and Benedict Wong<\/a> and is based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller. The Dog Stars is set in a time after a flu pandemic has wiped out most of humanity and tells the story of a former civlian pilot named Hig (Elordi) and his ex-Marine companion Bangley (Brolin) as they try to survive the dangers of a fallen world. <\/p>\n

\n\tScott directed the film from a script by Mark L. Smith<\/a> (Vacancy, The Revenant, Overlord, The Midnight Sky, The Boys in the Boat and Twisters). <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Dog Stars is the prolific Scott\u2019s next film after 2024\u2019s Gladiator II, and also follows Napoleon (2023), House of Gucci (2021) and The Last Duel (2021) as the 88-year-old British auteur\u2019s other films in the 2020s. He is next scheduled to helm Treasure Island<\/a> from a script by Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne, with Hugh Jackman starring in the feature based on Robert Louis Stevenson\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\n\tSee early social media reaction to The Dog Stars below. <\/p>\n

\n

#TheDogStars<\/a> felt like it forced from-the-book moments in, drawing it out a bit.<\/p>\n

That said, the second hour is intense & quite good. The characters are developed well enough to care into *wild* story turns.<\/p>\n

Also, get unexpectedly close to Josh Brolin in CoD Zombies short film. pic.twitter.com\/qqP0ndBqx0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> kinda surprised me? It definitely feels like it\u2019s pulling from a lot of things we\u2019ve already seen in the post-apocalyptic genre, but Ridley Scott slowly brings all of those familiar pieces together into something much more thematically sincere.<\/p>\n

At its core, this is\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/V05rn9SA8X<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Zach Pope (@ZachhPope) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> is a fine film that at under two hours still feels like its missing something. Ridley Scott knows how to film stunning landscapes, but falls short with a run of the mill post-apocalyptic film that-just-is. Josh Brolin is superb as always and eats up every scene he’s\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/WLkOpLe8Al<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Junior Felix (@JuniorFett) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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THE DOG STARS is soothing and gruelling.<\/p>\n

A western set at the end of the world with a big heart. Some intense FURY ROAD energy mixed with quiet campfires under the stars.<\/p>\n

Acoustic guitars, Josh Brolin smoking cigars, and a dog.<\/p>\n

Ridley Scott knows what we want. pic.twitter.com\/qNCIUlPvVy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 patrick. (@imPatrickT) August 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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THE DOG STARS is yet another example of how Ridley Scott is only as good as the screenplay he\u2019s given, for as strong as his direction can be, or his proficiency at staging action sequences, or the performances he gets out of his stars, if the screenplay isn\u2019t fully there, the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/bnnC8myT5i<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) August 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> surprised the hell out of me! This is a highly entertaining and achingly raw post-apocalyptic knock out that thankfully leans far more human than apocalypse, anchored by terrific performances from Elordi, Brolin, Qualley, Pearce and Janney, who nearly walks away with\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ZuS9m95q2B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tom Chatalbash (@TomChatalbash) August 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> took me by surprise. Ridley Scott has proven yet again that his finger is on the pulse when it comes to current themes. <\/p>\n

A warm, human, post-apocalyptic drama about the need for community. Slow, but consistently engaging, with smart editing.<\/p>\n

Really enjoyed this! pic.twitter.com\/SSW6SVG25N<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gavin Spoors \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 (@supergavigator) August 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> is a well-made but utterly soulless apocalyptic tale that feels like a bunch of other stories that have simply done it better. Elordi and Qualley have great presence but not much to work with in the heavy-handed screenplay. Gorgeous cinematography and effective\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/qrNKCfMLuQ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 adam patla (@apat10) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The Dog Stars wastes a solid cast and Ridley Scott direction due to a shoddy screenplay. On the nose dialogue and a meandering feel keep this one from being anything noteworthy. Alas.#TheDogStars<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GNiG8vYand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Ridley Scott’s #TheDogStars<\/a> is a unique western odyssey. It’s thoughtful, but doesn’t hesitate to go on autopilot when things escalate. Jacob Elordi’s performance is good and Josh Brolin adds some humorous tough love. Overall, a consistently optimistic and enjoyable watch. pic.twitter.com\/Vt8Xu3Zpo5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Christopher Gallardo (@chrisagwrites) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The apocalypse is the American dream. It’s a solid throughline introduced in #TheDogStars<\/a>, which is otherwise a bland stew of clich\u00e9s and an unwieldy narrative that forces too much action in way of character development. It’s as if 3 of these novels were crammed into one movie<\/p>\n

\u2014 Rob (@FlickMythRob) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The Dog Stars is the story of how the two most beautiful people in the world survive the apocalypse, Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce trying to out-dude one another, and not as much depressing tone as I thought (good thing). Brolin is worth the price of admission alone. #TheDogStars<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/71KdN5xbtC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Hunter Bolding (@HunterBVideo) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> is decently helmed by Ridley Scott, but its screenplay holds it back.<\/p>\n

A few well-staged action sequences, but it has a very slow start and can often feel drab and one-note in its execution. Not a horrible movie, but not good enough to recommend. Nothing exceptional. pic.twitter.com\/Am4Wry2faw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jonathan Sim (@TheJonathanSim) August 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Ridley Scott\u2019s #TheDogStars<\/a> is a surprisingly humble and emotionally weighted change of pace for the director. <\/p>\n

With its impressive cinematography, endless desolation and magnetic performances from Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, it\u2019s an impressive post-apocalyptic ride. pic.twitter.com\/d0fDeMd4LK<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Phil Roberts (@philthecool) August 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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THE DOG STARS is a painfully generic post-apocalyptic thriller indistinguishable from The Last of Us, 28 Days Later, and countless other stories. Two amazing action set-pieces, a cute dog, and a scene-stealing Josh Brolin are offset by a sulking Jacob Elordi, a bland story, and\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ZZ06s53QT4<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The HoloFiles \u2013 Movie\/TV News & Reviews (@theholofiles) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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#TheDogStars<\/a> is a post-apocalyptic scifi movie with some horror elements. The first hour is quite slow, if you can be patient then you will find the second hour quite interesting and has some surprises. I enjoy the cast and the dog, but there is a pacing problem. Still I was\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/5KIPTwbwvL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Maggie_in_LA (@MaggieM_in_LA) August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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