Fantastic Fest’s third secret screening, Luc Besson’s “Dogman,” premiered Tuesday. The film follows Douglas Munrow (Caleb Landry Jones) after being caught by police and forced to recount his life that led him to being the sole caretaker of hundreds of dogs that seemingly understand his every command, allowing him to steal from the rich and injure those who hurt the innocent.
Upon first glance, the script may feel like the origin story of a rejected Batman villain, but in reality, the beautiful narrative shares the story of a broken man who came to love dogs more than people due to poor treatment in the past. The story explores how dogs’ love for humans can feel unearned and genuine. It also explores the art world and how people pursue creative endeavors to fully become who they want without societal limitations. Told through a series of interviews and flashbacks, the film holds the audience’s attention even when plot points begin to feel too convoluted.
Caleb Landry Jones’ incredible performance helps to sell the script. He plays Douglas with a brokenness akin to the Joker and his performance hits audiences at their emotional core. As a character, Douglas remains steadfast in his unwavering love for performance. At a young age, he grew to love Shakespeare and began making money doing drag performances as he grew older. Lincoln Powell plays the younger version of Douglas and sells the character’s undying love for the arts, while Jones carries the performance even further through the joy and range of emotion he shows at his first drag performance.
The movie sells the idea that sometimes in life, people must make do with their dealt cards, no matter how unfair. This ideology shows itself clearly in every one of Jones’ actions and lines of dialogue. Without Jones, the script merely feels like a fun little story about a man who controls dogs but Jones’ expert performance elevates the movie from passive entertainment to a thought-provoking piece of art that highlights how trauma doesn’t spell the end of a person’s life.
Most dog movies seek to make the audience cry by injuring a canine companion, but “Dogman” elevates its pups onto a pedestal and makes them their own dynamic characters by giving them fun personalities and individual actions to contemplate. The stunt coordinators and animal handlers impressively make these dogs give such great performances. This feat deserves high praise as every scene with a dog feels flawlessly executed and will have audiences gushing at the furry stars’ cuteness.
“Dogman” seems like a hard concept to sell, but due to Jones’ fantastic performance and Besson’s solid directorial work, the film stands out as a must-see for audiences, and dogs, everywhere.
3 ½ bags of kibble out of 5
