Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller “The Dog Stars” premiered in London last week, and the first wave of social media reactions points to a divided response, with praise for the film’s visual craft undercut by criticism of its screenplay. Full critic reviews remain under embargo until Monday, but attendees who saw the film during a series of press screenings began posting brief impressions online almost immediately.
The film, adapted from Peter Heller’s 2012 bestselling novel, stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, a civilian pilot who survives a pandemic that has wiped out most of the country’s population. Living on an abandoned airbase with a former marine named Bangley, played by Josh Brolin, Hig sets out to chase down a mysterious radio signal that suggests other survivors exist. Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney and Benedict Wong round out the ensemble cast.
#TheDogStars felt like it forced from-the-book moments in, drawing it out a bit.
That said, the second hour is intense & quite good. The characters are developed well enough to care into *wild* story turns.
Also, get unexpectedly close to Josh Brolin in CoD Zombies short film. pic.twitter.com/qqP0ndBqx0
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) August 25, 2026
Reactions circulating online described the film as visually striking but derivative, with several commenters likening its tone and setting to prior entries in the genre. Others pushed back against that framing, calling the movie a grueling but ultimately hopeful survival story that marks a quieter, more emotionally driven turn for the 88-year-old director. Brolin’s performance drew particular attention, with multiple viewers singling out his chemistry with Elordi as the film’s strongest asset, even as some found the pacing uneven in its opening stretch.
Elordi joined the production after Paul Mescal, originally attached to reunite with Scott following “Gladiator II,” exited due to a scheduling conflict tied to Sam Mendes’ multi-film Beatles project. Elordi has since spoken warmly about working with Scott, telling reporters at the London premiere that the director’s influence runs through nearly everything modern audiences watch on screen.
#TheDogStars kinda surprised me? It definitely feels like it’s pulling from a lot of things we’ve already seen in the post-apocalyptic genre, but Ridley Scott slowly brings all of those familiar pieces together into something much more thematically sincere.
At its core, this is… pic.twitter.com/V05rn9SA8X
— Zach Pope (@ZachhPope) August 25, 2026
“The Dog Stars” opens in theaters worldwide on August 28 through 20th Century Studios, arriving at a moment when Scott’s box office pull among mainstream audiences has shown signs of softening, even as his films continue to draw outsized attention from critics and longtime followers of his work. Screenwriter Mark L. Smith adapted Heller’s novel, with Scott producing alongside Michael Pruss and Cliff Roberts.
