In a post-apocalyptic world, a virus wipes out humanity. Survivors face roaming scavengers called Reapers. Protagonist Hig, a pilot, survived the flu but lost his wife.

‘The Dog Stars’ is a surprisingly low-key post-apocalyptic drama from Ridley Scott, set in the aftermath of a flu pandemic that has wiped out much of the population and left many of those who remain either living in isolation or having become increasingly feral. Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a former engineer who lives at an abandoned airfield with Bangley (Josh Brolin), an older Marine and survivalist whose more cynical outlook contrasts with Hig’s lingering belief that there might still be something better out there.

Hig’s main companion is his dog Jasper, while he continues to mourn the wife he lost several years earlier. He and Bangley have established a functional existence together, with Hig using his small plane to patrol the surrounding area, but neither seems particularly content with the life they have been left with. While Bangley has largely accepted what the world has become, Hig remains hopeful, eventually setting off in search of the source of a radio transmission that suggests there may be other people living elsewhere.

It’s an unusually restrained film for Scott, more interested in loneliness, grief and companionship than delivering the kind of large scale post-apocalyptic spectacle you might expect from him. At 88, it’s possible that reflects where Scott himself is in his life, with a story about people dealing differently with loss and trying to work out what remains worth living for. The performances help make that work, with Elordi and Brolin particularly good together, while Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce bring plenty to their roles once Hig’s journey takes him beyond the airfield.

Less successful is a strange interlude involving Allison Janney, which feels like it has been transported in from a completely different film (though as always, Janney is great!). It was shot in Italy and Scott gets a lot of mileage out of the mountainous Italian landscapes, particularly during the sequences of Hig flying above them in his plane, and they do look great and add to the poetic sensibilities of the film.

I enjoyed ‘The Dog Stars’ and liked spending time with its characters, particularly the contrasting personalities of Hig and Bangley, but I also spent much of the film waiting for it to become something more than it ultimately does. There’s nothing particularly wrong with its quieter approach, and perhaps that’s the point, but it left me feeling that there was another level it never quite reached. It’s a solid and thoughtful film, and an interesting change of pace for Scott, but I wanted something more out of this.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney and Benedict Wong

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt21285562/