The Power of the Dog Movie Review: Netflix has had a killer few past months with great release after great release. Each and every one of them have been amazingly varied and have felt fresh. The Power of the Dog is another entry into Netflix’s stellar lineup of films that really pulls you into its world. The Power of the Dog Trailer: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst’s Film Arrives on Netflix on December 1 (Watch Video).
The Power of the Dog follows two ranch brothers, Phil and George. George falls in love with a widow named Rose and marries her. The widow sends off her son to medicine school with the money George provides and moves into his ranch. The real tension starts after they move into their home as Phil finds it hard with them staying there and isn’t quite fond of their company.
First things first, Benedict Cumberbatch chews up the scenery as he gives a great performance. His intensity makes up most of The Power of the Dog and sets the tone. Cumberbatch has such a commanding tone to himself here that he instantly captures your attention. He portrays the irritation of a man quite well to the point where some scenes with him are definitely bound to make you a bit uneasy. Honestly this a great contender for the Best Actor nom at the Academy Awards, and I would love to see Benedict Cumberbatch get nominated.
Watch The Trailer:
Joining Cumberbatch also is the real life couple Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst who portray the roles of George and Rose. They surely have great chemistry between themselves. Dunst particularly shines as Rose as she loses herself in this role. There is a great sense of buildup to Rose’s character here that it is definitely a slow burn, but once it hits, oh does it hit and all of that is possible due to Dunst’s great performance. Even Kodi Smit-McPhee who you all might know from X-Men: Apocalypse gives quite the performance. He plays the role of Peter, Rose’s son, who has quite the chemistry with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Phil.
After giving us one of the most haunting and beautiful pieces of soundtrack with Spencer, composer Johnny Greenwood turns up the notch and gives The Power of the Dog its intensity and uneasiness. It is a soundtrack filled with great rhythm behind it and one that sticks out the most while watching the film, in a good way of course. The film is also pretty to look at as the cinematographer Ari Wegner makes the most out of the beautiful mountainous regions of New Zealand. Wegner does a great job of making New Zealand look like Montana and it honestly evokes out the western feel. Benedict Cumberbatch Talks About His Role in ‘The Power of the Dog’, Says ‘He’s a Man in Great Pain’.
There isn’t a narrative as such to the film. There is an overlaying story, or you can maybe say a theme to The Power of the Dog, but it never really follows one narrative. It heavily depends upon its characters to move the plot forward. The way it tells its story is definitely interesting and one that will bring about a discussion from anyone that watches it. But I think ultimately director Jane Campion for the most part, pulls off the job by bringing this complicated story to the screen.
While The Power of the Dog is extremely good, it does have a fair share of its problems too. The way the story is told while done in a good fashion, it just sometimes gets extremely frustrating to watch. Given the slow pace of the film, there were definitely times where I found myself frustrated at what the film is building up to and why is it taking so long to come. By the time the build-up did hit, it didn’t affect me much even though it stuck the landing. There were also a good 20 minutes or so that could have been easily taken out that would have only helped the film.
Yay!
Amazing Performances
Great Cinematography
Johnny Greenwood’s Score
Great Story
Nay!
Film Can be a Bit Frustrating
Final Thoughts
Well, The Power of the Dog is another shining addition to Netflix’s ever growing library of amazing original films. The Power of the Dog is filled with exceptional performances and will stay with you long after you roll credits on it.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 02, 2021 04:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).