Brad Pitt’s Performance Opposite a Dog Is ‘a Joy to Behold’ in “Heart of the Beast”, First Reviews Say

Tommy McArdleTue, September 22, 2026 at 2:54 PM UTC

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Brad Pitt and the dog Uber in Heart of the BeastCredit: Paramount Pictures -

Brad Pitt’s new movie Heart of the Beast is receiving favorable reviews from critics

Pitt stars in the movie alongside a German Shepherd named Uber; J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe also appear in the film

Heart of the Beast is in theaters Sept. 25

Brad Pitt is receiving rave reviews for his performance opposite a German Shepherd in his new movie.

First reviews from film critics for Pitt’s new survival thriller Heart of the Beastrolled out on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The movie is opening to near-universal acclaim from Rotten Tomatoes-approved critics, many of whom highlighted the onscreen bond between Pitt’s character and the dog Uber — named Odin in the movie — as a high point in Pitt’s already well-regarded career. In Heart of the Beast, Pitt, 62, portrays a retired military special forces officer who crash-lands in the wilderness of Alaska with his dog, leaving the duo to fend for themselves.

Many critics noted in their reviews that a majority of the movie features Pitt and the dog spending time together in the wild. “As Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood amply proved, Pitt plus dog is a winning formula that doesn’t require much embellishment, and in Heart of the Beast it is again a joy to behold,” The Telegraph‘s chief film critic Robbie Collin wrote in a four-star review. “You feel a soulful connection between actor and animal that goes beyond performance; whenever one instinctively helps out the other, manly tears are liable to flow. (This must be the most mercilessly effective canine weepie since Marley & Me.)”

The Hollywood Reporter‘s Frank Scheck also wrote highly of Pitt’s onscreen bond with Uber. “Credit must be given to his trainers, handlers, and Pitt himself, who reveals so much chemistry with his canine fellow actor that his previous female co-stars might be jealous,” he wrote. Scheck added, “For certain scenes Uber is doubled by three other dogs, all of them his sons, which must have made for an especially harmonious set. Heart of the Beast sometimes feels repetitive in its pile-up of perilous moments, but Ayer’s expert direction and the fast-paced 101-minute running time prevent monotony from sinking in. And if the film’s ending leaves you dry-eyed, you’re clearly not an animal lover and someone I have no desire to meet.”

Variety‘s Owen Glieberman also praised Pitt for giving “a true performance” in the film, despite not having many human costars to act opposite. “There’s a way to sum up Heart of the Beast, and that’s by saying, ‘This is a terrific performance — and Brad Pitt is extremely good too,’” Glieberman wrote. “Because Uber, the dog who plays Odin, does one of the most affecting pieces of canine acting I’ve seen since the days of Old Yeller and Lassie Come Home. You feel Odin’s weariness, his intelligence, his dogged loyalty. The bond he shares with James emanates from the heart of both beasts, and that makes the film a journey stirring in its primacy.”

The ‘ Lindsey Bahr wrote in a two-and-a-half-star review that Heart of the Beast is “an effectively thrilling adventure, and Pitt can shed a tear (actually, many) like the best of them.”

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“This might not be his most interesting outing as a performer, but it works on a primal level,” Bahr added. “And the movie is best when it’s at its simplest, showing the bond between Odin and James, and how worried they are about each other.”

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Brad Pitt and Uber the dog in Heart of the BeastCredit: Paramount Pictures

IndieWire‘s Ryan Lattanzio described the film as “a bit sweet and oddball in its affection for the man-animal connection, especially for anyone who’s felt a closeness to a pet.”

“Pitt’s steeliness and willingness to survive (and seemingly do many of his own stunts) also make for often powerfully compelling viewing,” Lattanzio wrote.

Heart of the Beast is in theaters Sept. 25.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”