Brad Pitt Dog Movie Heart of the Beast’s RT Score Sets New Record for Suicide Squad’s David Ayer

Brad Pitt is starring in a survival thriller from director David Ayer. The film centers on a former Army Special Forces soldier who survives a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness. He must then find a way to survive alongside his retired combat dog.

Heart of the Beast currently has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes with 31 critic reviews, making it David Ayer’s best-reviewed film on the platform. The score puts the film above End of Watch, which previously held Ayer’s highest Tomatometer score at 85%. The new film will hit theaters on September 25, 2026.

The film reunites Ayer with Pitt following their work on Fury. J. K. Simmons and Anna Lambe also star in the film, which follows a soldier and his dog as they fight to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.

What critics are saying about Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast?

Critics have particularly praised the relationship between Pitt’s character, James Belmont, and Odin, his combat dog. Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman highlighted Pitt’s ability to deliver a full performance despite having limited human interaction, and praised the dog playing Odin. He wrote, “This is a terrific performance — and Brad Pitt is extremely good too.”

The Hollywood Reporter‘s Frank Scheck similarly praised the chemistry between Pitt and the dog. Scheck described the film as a “love story” between a man and his dog. He credited Pitt, the trainers, and the handlers for making their relationship convincing. Scheck noted that the film becomes repetitive at times but praised Ayer’s direction and the fast-paced 101-minute running time for preventing monotony.

The Associated Press‘ Lindsey Bahr had a more mixed response to the film. She described it as an effectively thrilling adventure and praised Pitt’s emotional performance. However, Bahr noted that the story follows familiar survival-film beats. She wrote that the film works best when it focuses on the bond between James and Odin.

The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw praised Pitt’s performance and the connection between the man and dog but felt the film leaned heavily into “sentimentality.” He also questioned the realism of some of its wilderness elements and visual effects. Bradshaw described the film as “a bit cheesy.”

As more reviews come in, the current 94% Tomatometer score could change. For now, Heart of the Beast holds Ayer’s highest Rotten Tomatoes score for a feature.

Source: Comingsoon.net