Like Dogs (2021) Film Review | Movie-Blogger.com

Movie characters aren’t supposed to be good or bad to have engagement. I mean, it’s pretty widely known that villains have come to be our favorite characters throughout the years. They should just be designed meticulously to regard a connection with the audience through a motivation or a cause. And then, they should be well performed, clear and why not, they should meet their goals. 

The indie thriller that turns into something else altogether halfway, Like Dogs, is a film that’s solely based on characters that are anything but clear. The film has a recognizable direction (if you don’t think too much of the basis for the activities portrayed), but it’s run by people that don’t meet an emotionally interesting agenda. Sadly, with a film like this, it’s essential to believe in what the characters are doing and why.

And even with this massive obstacle, Like Dogs has something interesting about it. And it has to with the thrilling element that’s curiously underused in its plot. 

A girl gets kidnapped and locked in a dark facility. She gets fed like a dog. Even the masked guards behave like oppressive dog owners. She realizes she isn’t alone. There is someone there with her.

What looks like a thriller in the vein of Hostel, is actually a whole different film.You will realize this in the first 30 minutes. Trust me. It’s a great surprise.

Or is it? What comes as a shock is threaded into the expected plot of “experiment goes awry”. Like Dogs is a bold film that dares to change its course pretty quickly. However, the destination isn’t very interesting or cinematic. 

This is very curious, as the film has a territory of human darkness that could get explored, but it just stays in the calm water of slasher villains, and long dialogues to express intent. The third act in Like Dogs has so many twists and turns that the ending feels like a collection of experimental ideas for giving closure to characters that aren’t very engaging. 

Personally, I’m not a fan of thinking of various ways to end or develop an idea. I think scripts are a creation that should always be respected. But the well shot Like Dogs calls for discussion. There’s a film here that could be turned into a good, effective thriller. It’s more related to the idea of its title. And it connects well enough with the subtext of “dominance” that the film shows only when it allows itself to be a more natural concept.

It’s enjoyable enough for those who are not into digging deeper into the basis of the story and stay in the momentum of a good performance or a good kill. There’s plenty of those. And in those moments the film’s taken to another level, one that’s more identifiable by the audience who comes looking for something very specific.

Thin plots and characters. A sadly ineffective combination that kills any chance for a movie to be above average. In Like Dogs the potentially good film ends very early and then a convoluted story starts. One that drives the attention away from the more powerful idea, and sets the viewer on a course that ends abruptly, without much explanation or chance to understand further.

Founder of Screentology. Member of the OFCS. RT Certified Critic

Dog dad.