Ridley Scott’s latest film, “The Dog Stars,” offers a post-apocalyptic portrait of survival and human connection in a world devastated by an influenza pandemic. Set roughly a decade after the epidemic, the story unfolds near Denver, Colorado, where most of humanity has perished and nature has reclaimed urban spaces.

The film centers on Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former mechanic and construction worker who lives on a makeshift compound combining a rural airport and a high school football field, about 25 miles north of Denver. Hig sporadically flies his Cessna into the city to scavenge supplies such as soda for a nearby Mennonite community of children. These visits provide rare moments of levity and connection in an otherwise bleak environment. The children’s caretaker, played by Benedict Wong, presents a pastoral figure amid the harsh postpandemic reality.

Hig shares his shelter with Bangley (Josh Brolin), a hardened survivor who operates under a strict philosophy: power, food, water, and weapons are vital. The pair maintain an extensive arsenal and engage in nightly poker games with thousands of dollars, treating cash casually in a world where its value is opaque. Bangley’s approach to outsiders is unyielding and violent, calling those he kills “cockroaches,” emphasizing the pervasive paranoia and survivalist mentality that dominate this new world.

Their existence is complicated by the arrival of Cima (Margaret Qualley), a widowed woman, and her skeptical father Pops (Guy Pearce). A cautious romance develops between Hig and Cima, constrained by distrust and the ever-present threat of violence, symbolized by Pops’s constant armed vigilance.

Adapted from Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, the film diverges notably from its source material. While the book was praised for its quiet and hopeful tone prior to the global pandemic, Scott’s adaptation injects more overt action sequences in the latter half, resulting in uneven pacing. The film employs a mixture of widescreen cinematic framing and stylized visual effects but occasionally lapses into conventional post-apocalyptic tropes.

Antagonists in the film include disparate hostile groups such as horse-mounted attackers clad in makeshift football armor and a tattooed gang known as the Reapers, depicted with a supernatural aura via night-vision cinematography. These groups are portrayed more as menacing archetypes than fully fleshed individuals, with some critics noting the limited representation of characters of color in antagonistic roles. Later, Allison Janney appears as the leader of a third faction, evoking a chilling presence akin to the archetype of Nurse Ratched.

Notably, the film’s female characters are sparse and often sidelined, with Cima and Janney’s figure standing out. Hig’s portrayal by Elordi emphasizes quiet humility rather than charisma, which some viewers may find limits emotional engagement with his character.

“The Dog Stars” reflects Scott’s continued exploration of humanity’s struggle with technology and societal collapse, a theme recurrent in his work. Although the film lacks the tension and emotional depth found in some of his previous projects, it touches on themes of loss, hope, and the persistence of creativity amid desolation. The narrative’s quieter moments—such as a character choosing music over violence—offer a glimmer of optimism in an otherwise grim setting.

While not regarded as one of Scott’s strongest ventures, the film contributes to ongoing cinematic reflections on survival and the human condition in post-catastrophe landscapes.