The world has ended.
But for Hig, surviving isn’t the same thing as living.
Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars arrives in theaters today, bringing Jacob Elordi into a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been nearly wiped out by a devastating pandemic.
This isn’t simply another story about fighting zombies or escaping monsters. At its center is a man, his dog and the difficult question of whether it’s still worth searching for something better.
Jacob Elordi Is Searching for Something More
Elordi plays Hig, a former pilot living in isolation at an abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper.
His closest human companion is Bangley, a hardened survivalist played by Josh Brolin. Together, they have created a life built around routine and survival.
But Hig begins to hear a mysterious radio transmission.
That signal becomes the beginning of something bigger.
Instead of accepting the small world he has built, Hig decides to search for what might still exist beyond it.
This Apocalypse Is More Personal Than Explosive
The Dog Stars is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel and brings together a cast that also includes Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney and Benedict Wong.
Scott has described the emotional connection between Hig and Jasper as one of the essential elements of the story.
That relationship gives the movie a different kind of post-apocalyptic hook.
The world around Hig may be dangerous, but the story is ultimately about loneliness, memory and the possibility of human connection after unimaginable loss.
Early reviews have been mixed, but several critics have highlighted the film’s more intimate approach to the genre.
Another Big Sci-Fi Story From Ridley Scott
At 88, Scott is still returning to the genre that produced some of his most influential films, including Alien and Blade Runner.
But The Dog Stars appears to be aiming for something quieter.
There are threats. There is violence. And there is plenty of danger waiting outside Hig’s small corner of the world.
Yet the real journey is about whether someone who has lost almost everything can allow himself to hope again.
The Bottom Line
The Dog Stars may look like a traditional survival thriller, but its story is much more interested in what comes after survival.
For Ridley Scott, Jacob Elordi and a very good dog named Jasper, the end of the world is only the beginning of the search for a reason to keep going.