A quieter apocalypse
The early notices agree that Scott begins with solitude rather than spectacle: an airfield, a pilot, a dog and the fragile prospect of another voice on the radio.
Now playing · 2026-08-28 · Directed by Ridley Scott
The Dog Stars
The end of the world leaves one runway open.
After a pandemic empties the world, a pilot, his dog and a survivalist live at an abandoned airfield until a radio signal suggests that solitude may not be the only future.
Critics’ measure: 49/100
First voices, based on 2 explicitly scored professional reviews; 9 reviews are linked in the full ledger.
Story and context
The question of momentum
The divide is whether that restraint gives the film emotional room or leaves a familiar survival story without enough dramatic pressure.
Professional review ledger
- ‘The Dog Stars’ Review: Seeking Hope at the End of the World — Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times, 2026-08-27 · unscored
- ‘The Dog Stars’ barks up the wrong tree — Odie Henderson, The Boston Globe, 2026-08-26 · 1.5/4 (37.5/100 normalized)
- The Dog Stars review: Ridley Scott delivers a hopeful if bumpy post-collapse drama — Simon Crook, Time Out, 2026-08-26 · 3/5 (60/100 normalized)
- The Dog Stars review – Ridley Scott’s lethargic postapocalyptic drama is a misfire — Benjamin Lee, The Guardian, 2026-08-26 · unscored
- ‘The Dog Stars’ Review: Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley in Ridley Scott’s Subdued but Pleasingly Soulful Dystopian Western — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2026-08-26 · unscored
- The Dog Stars Review: Ridley Scott Strikes Out With Post-Apocalyptic Dud — Luke Hicks, The Film Stage, 2026-08-26 · unscored
- ‘The Dog Stars’ Review: Ridley Scott Finds Glimmers Of Hope In A Surprisingly Soulful Post-Apocalyptic Drama — Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist, 2026-08-26 · unscored
- ‘The Dog Stars’ Review: Jacob Elordi’s Sensitive Survivalist Can’t Sustain a Dreary Dystopian Adventure — Guy Lodge, Variety, 2026-08-26 · unscored
- The Dog Stars review – sickly sweet Americana hopecore — Billie Walker, Little White Lies, 2026-08-26 · unscored
Official trailer
The Dog Stars | Official Trailer · 20th Century Studios