Chart positions on a streaming service are a blunt instrument, yet they still say something useful about how a film travels. A tense two-hour science fiction thriller from a veteran director reaching the top slot on Prime Video suggests audiences will follow ambition when the package is clear: a strong cast, a cold visual palette and a premise that promises more than a straightforward action ride. Films of this type usually divide opinion, and that is part of their appeal. Some viewers want the ideas spelled out, while others enjoy the discomfort of a story that refuses to explain itself. Either way, the numbers indicate that a serious, slow-burning picture can compete with lighter entertainment when word of mouth builds. The lesson for anyone browsing a crowded home screen is that a chart placing is a starting point rather than a verdict, and that a film built around atmosphere often plays better in a quiet room than in a noisy one.
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Coming into the year, Scott was fresh off a few box office bombs, but the Oscar-nominated director sought redemption with the debut ofThe Dog Stars. Led byJosh BrolinandJacob Elordi,The Dog Starswas Scott’s first sci-fi movie in almost 10 years — he last directedAlien: Covenantin 2017 — so there was some anticipation for the film. However, mediocre reviews out of the gate left not much desire for fans to make the trek to the theater, leading toThe Dog Starswrapping up its theatrical run after falling just short of $40 million at the global box office. Now that the film has been completely removed from all theaters, it’s only available to watch on VOD, where it’s now the #1 movie in the world onPrime Video.
What Is ‘The Dog Stars’ About?
The Dog Starsis based on the acclaimed sci-fi novel of the same name byPeter Heller, who also produced the film with screenwriterMark L. Smithand director Ridley Scott. Additional cast members includeMargaret Qualley(Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood),Guy Pearce(The Brutalist), andBenedict Wong(Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). The official synopsis forThe Dog Stars, which earned scores of 41% from critics and 69% from audiences onRotten Tomatoes, reads as follows:
“Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars is a riveting, epic thriller set in a world where survival is instinct, but humanity is a choice. Scott tells the story of Hig, a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley, has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world until a mysterious radio transmission spurs Hig to venture into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exists.”
Check outThe Dog Starson VOD platforms like Prime Video andApple TVand stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Ridley Scott’s future projects.
The Dog Stars
Cast
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