(MA) 118 minutes
Great news from the post-apocalypse: the survivors are, in the immortal words of Derek Zoolander, really, really, ridiculously good-looking – Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Josh Brolin. The not-so-good news: there’s a very good chance someone is going to come along to mess up their pretty faces any minute.
Based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller, The Dog Stars is set in a near future (2035) when a virus (some sort of flu) has wiped out great swathes of humanity, leading to deserted and rewilded cities and a remnant population scattered throughout the countryside. Scavenging is an option, for now, but ultimately growing your own food is key to survival.
This uneven, entertaining and occasionally ridiculous film is also Ridley Scott’s latest effort to work like there’s no tomorrow. Since Gladiator in 2000, the 88-year-old Englishman has turned out 20 films as director, and a heap more movies and TV series as producer under his Scott Free banner. The history-deprived scavengers of whatever apocalyptic future awaits might well sift the ruins of our civilisation and conclude that Sir Ridley was the movie business, for better and worse.
