Photo: pagesix.com — ‘The Dog Stars’ review: Another dog of a movie from the once-great Ridley Scott. Source: https://nypost.com/2026/08/25/entertainment/the-dog-stars-review-another-dog-of-a-movie-from-the-once-great-ridley-scott/Ridley Scott's latest feature, "The Dog Stars," opens in U.S. theaters on August 28, 2026. The film adapts Peter Heller's novel and stars Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley alongside Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, Allison Janney, and Benedict Wong. Running time is 118 minutes with an R rating for strong language and violence. Read also: Sacha Baron Cohen Revives Ali G for New Feature Film After Two Decades.
The story follows a lone survivor navigating a barren wilderness after an unspecified cataclysm. This premise echoes recent post-apocalyptic titles such as "A Quiet Place," the "28 Years Later" movies, "The End We Start From," and the HBO series "Station Eleven." Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post describes the genre as "It's the end of the world, so let's go on a hike." Read also: Only Murders in the Building Season 6 Heads to London with December Premiere Date.
“It’s the end of the world, so let’s go on a hike.”
— Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
Oleksinski calls the movie a "dog of a movie" that adds little to the familiar formula. He writes that the film is "lacking variation" and "running on the fumes of the much better aforementioned titles." The critic refers to Scott as "the once-great director (and now my tormentor)."
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter offers a contrasting view. He describes the film as Ridley Scott's most satisfying effort since "The Martian," praising its reflective tone amid brief action bursts. Rooney calls it a "subdued but pleasingly soulful dystopian western."
“subdued but pleasingly soulful dystopian western”
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
Rooney also notes Disney's low-key release strategy. The film was pushed from a spring slot to late summer with minimal marketing, no U.S. red-carpet premiere, and a trailer that resembles many generic post-apocalyptic thrillers. He suggests the studio expects limited commercial appeal, especially as TV series like "The Last of Us" have ceded ground.
With sharply divided reviews and a quiet launch, "The Dog Stars" arrives as a test of whether Scott's veteran craftsmanship can still draw audiences to a familiar end-of-the-world hike.
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