{"id":2116949,"date":"2026-08-28T12:52:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T09:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2116949"},"modified":"2026-08-28T12:52:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T09:52:35","slug":"euronews-cultures-film-of-the-week-the-dog-stars-a-smouldering-jacob-elordi-cant-save-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2116949","title":{"rendered":"Euronews Culture&#8217;s Film of the Week: &#8216;The Dog Stars&#8217; &#8211; A smouldering Jacob Elordi can&#8217;t save us"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/27\/46\/1200x675_cmsv2_dfa46223-5ca9-5887-a665-f72b52e57b60-9892746.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2921384-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2921384\" data-cid=\"9893396\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921384-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/33\/96\/189x106_cmsv2_ddc9c191-3e38-5e54-8079-cd50a2790400-9893396.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mourners gather in the pouring rain to watch as King Harald V&apos;s remains arrive to the Royal Palace in Oslo\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Norway mourns king Harald V as crown prince Haakon becomes king\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921403-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2921403\" data-cid=\"9893523\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921403-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/35\/23\/189x106_cmsv2_657370fb-0eb8-5339-8a83-43f1e2783ec1-9893523.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Norway&apos;s King Harald gives a speech during a gala dinner at the Palace in Oslo, 8 April, 2025\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Europe&#8217;s monarchs and world leaders mourn Norway&#8217;s King Harald V\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921401-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2921401\" data-cid=\"9893497\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921401-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/34\/97\/189x106_cmsv2_c4700f6d-725d-5d15-871c-2e627e7f61ce-9893497.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Residents salvage their belongings from damaged houses after flash flooding in the Devighat area of Nuwakot district in Nepal, 28 August, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Nepal<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Number of missing in Nepal floods passes 2,400 as EU pledges aid\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921232-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2921232\" data-cid=\"9893458\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921232-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/34\/58\/189x106_cmsv2_cbb616c5-b14e-5ccb-ad11-5b6eb696474a-9893458.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Migrants who crossed from Morocco into Spain return to a beach after being expelled from the area the previous day, 21 August, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ceuta &#8216;on the brink of collapse&#8217; as Spain seeks Frontex support\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921384-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2921384\" data-cid=\"9893396\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921384-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/33\/96\/189x106_cmsv2_ddc9c191-3e38-5e54-8079-cd50a2790400-9893396.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mourners gather in the pouring rain to watch as King Harald V&apos;s remains arrive to the Royal Palace in Oslo\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    No Comment<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Norway mourns king Harald V as crown prince Haakon becomes king\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921403-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2921403\" data-cid=\"9893523\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921403-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/35\/23\/189x106_cmsv2_657370fb-0eb8-5339-8a83-43f1e2783ec1-9893523.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Norway&apos;s King Harald gives a speech during a gala dinner at the Palace in Oslo, 8 April, 2025\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Europe&#8217;s monarchs and world leaders mourn Norway&#8217;s King Harald V\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921401-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2921401\" data-cid=\"9893497\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921401-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/34\/97\/189x106_cmsv2_c4700f6d-725d-5d15-871c-2e627e7f61ce-9893497.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Residents salvage their belongings from damaged houses after flash flooding in the Devighat area of Nuwakot district in Nepal, 28 August, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Nepal<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Number of missing in Nepal floods passes 2,400 as EU pledges aid\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921232-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2921232\" data-cid=\"9893458\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921232-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/34\/58\/189x106_cmsv2_cbb616c5-b14e-5ccb-ad11-5b6eb696474a-9893458.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Migrants who crossed from Morocco into Spain return to a beach after being expelled from the area the previous day, 21 August, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ceuta &#8216;on the brink of collapse&#8217; as Spain seeks Frontex support\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Culture<\/p>\n<p>                          Culture Series<\/p>\n<p>                          Cinema<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Euronews Culture&#8217;s Film of the Week: &#8216;The Dog Stars&#8217; &#8211; A smouldering Jacob Elordi can&#8217;t save us<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/27\/46\/1536x864_cmsv2_dfa46223-5ca9-5887-a665-f72b52e57b60-9892746.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Film of the Week: The Dog Stars\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Film of the Week: The Dog Stars<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">20th Century Studios<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a020th Century Studios\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspDavid Mouriquand\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1787921555\">\n                    Published on                 <time datetime=\"2026-08-28 14:52:35 +02:00\">28\/08\/2026 &#8211; 14:52 GMT+2<\/time><span class=\"c-article-publication-date__bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Updated<br \/>\n                                     <time datetime=\"14:57\">14:57<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay js-c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay u-display-none\">\n<div id=\"js-c-article-share-comment-popup\" class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup js-c-article-share-comment-popup\">\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__header u-display-flex\"><span>Share<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/icon-close.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"Close Button\" 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decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed_container u-display-none\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed__tooltip\"><br \/>\n                            Copy\/paste the article video embed link below:<br \/>\n                        <\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed u-display-flex\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/icon-copy-to-clipboard.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Copy to clipboard\" class=\"u-cursor-pointer js-c-article-share-comment-copy\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed--success-copied u-display-none js-c-article-share-comment-video-embed-success-link-copied\"><br \/>\n                                Copied<br \/>\n                            <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Ridley Scott&#8217;s latest film proves that while a smouldering Jacob Elordi and his faithful dog can&#8217;t save us in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Josh Brolin\u2019s goatee can spark some hope.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content c-article-content--culture js-article-content\">\n<p>Ridley Scott has had his fair share of hits and misses. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For every <em>Alien<\/em>, <em>Blade Runner<\/em>, <em>Gladiator<\/em> and <em>The Martian<\/em>, there\u2019s a <em>Kingdom of Heaven<\/em>, <em>A Good Year<\/em>, whatever <em>The Counselor<\/em> was, <em>Napoleon<\/em>, and an underpowered <strong><em>Glad-II-ator<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>No bad word shall be said about <em>Alien: Covenant<\/em> or <em>House of Gucci<\/em>. The former is a lot better than you remember, and the latter is a camp masterpiece, and that\u2019s that.<\/p>\n<p>Frustratingly, his latest film sits very comfortably in the \u2018miss\u2019 category.<\/p>\n<p>Based on Peter Heller\u2019s 2012 novel of the same name, <em>The Dog Stars<\/em> stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, your ridiculously handsome everyman and former pilot trying to get by in a post-pandemic America. Following a viral apocalypse which wiped out most of the human population, including his wife, our hero survives by scavenging supplies with his dog, Jasper. Which is a lovely name for a dog. Well done there.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike his Marine-turned-survivalist compadre Bangley (Josh Brolin), Hig clings onto hope that humanity will find a way. He flies his Cessna plane looking for signs of life and is drawn to a mysterious radio signal, which leads him to a military base. There, he meets Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her gruff father (Guy Pearce), and starts to think of a life beyond survival.<\/p>\n<p>However, feral gangs of \u201creapers\u201d threaten any future plans&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/27\/46\/808x454_cmsv2_080e1bc0-db79-5edd-9902-d968aeed45ac-9892746.jpg\" alt=\"The Dog Stars\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Dog Stars<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">20th Century Studios <\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Whatever your past directorial credentials may be and as impressive as it is to still be behind the camera at the age of 88, there\u2019s no excuse for making the post-apocalypse boring and this derivative.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s some <em>28 Days \/ Weeks \/ Years Later<\/em> in <em>The Dog Stars<\/em>, a bit of <em>I Am Legend<\/em>, echoes to <em>Mad Max<\/em>, and even some Fallout for good measure. All great touchpoints, but they don\u2019t coalesce into something remotely interesting. They just make you wish you were watching a film either scary, thrilling or profound enough to retain your attention.<\/p>\n<p>As it is, <em>The Dog Stars<\/em> wants to be both an introspective character study and a post-apocalyptic actioner, and fails in both respects. It\u2019s too uneventful to be exciting, not scary enough to be impactful, and too puddle-deep to be insightful. Worse, this is a film that doesn\u2019t say much of anything about the apocalypse, societal collapse, or shared grief. Unlike the source material, Mark L. Smith\u2019s script never grapples with its themes and instead chooses to underdevelop the characters every step of the way.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from Erik Messerschmidt&#8217;s stunning cinematography, the interminably slow pace led me to focus on an unexpected element in <em>The Dog Stars<\/em>: facial hair. Specifically, Josh Brolin\u2019s goated goatee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/27\/46\/808x454_cmsv2_8abf1730-3e19-57c9-97d0-12aa6626f5ca-9892746.jpg\" alt=\"The Dog Stars\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Dog Stars<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">20th Century Studios <\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Boy, can that man do facial follicles.<\/p>\n<p>Few men can. Idris Elba can. Adam Driver cannot. Ethan Hawk is a master. Orlando Bloom is not. Christian Bale can grow a wild one. Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet may get there one day.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a subtle art, and Brolin \u2013 and not for the first time \u2013 sports a majestic one here, giving grizzled uncle energy that made me think: If it is the end of the world as we know it, I will find solace in staying away from radio signals and keeping close to your scraggly growth, which assures me that I\u2019ll be safe.<\/p>\n<p>So, unless you\u2019re in the market to watch a smouldering Jacob Elordi wearing a Carhartt jacket and staring into the distance &#8211; or looking to start a goatee appreciation society like I am seriously considering &#8211; stay away from this overlong and bizarrely bland effort from a filmmaker who\u2019ll hopefully give us one last great film before another pandemic hits.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>The Dog Stars<\/em> is out in cinemas now.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-contributors c-article-contributors-supplementary u-margin-top-2 u-padding-top-2\">\n<p>Video editor<strong> \u2022 Amber Louise Bryce<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__container\">\n<article id=\"abe-2919195-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2919195\" data-cid=\"9882339\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2919195-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/23\/39\/480x270_cmsv2_69855082-9359-516a-a1a2-226c4b97cef6-9882339.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Film of the Week: Fjord\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Cinema<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Film of the Week: &#8216;Fjord&#8217; &#8211; A worthy 2026 Palme d&#8217;Or winner?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2917320-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2917320\" data-cid=\"9872935\" 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class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2919195-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2919195\" data-cid=\"9882339\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2919195-label-pos0-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/23\/39\/480x270_cmsv2_69855082-9359-516a-a1a2-226c4b97cef6-9882339.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Film of the Week: Fjord\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Cinema<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Film of the Week: &#8216;Fjord&#8217; &#8211; A worthy 2026 Palme d&#8217;Or winner?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2917320-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2917320\" data-cid=\"9872935\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2917320-label-pos1-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/87\/29\/35\/480x270_cmsv2_0e232945-6487-56cb-89d6-66569b21520a-9872935.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Film of the Week: The End Of Oak Street\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Cinema<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Film of the Week: &#8216;The End Of Oak Street&#8217; &#8211; Nostalgic Dinogeddon<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2915874-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2915874\" data-cid=\"9866221\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2915874-label-pos2-c-article-you-might-also-like__item\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/86\/62\/21\/480x270_cmsv2_1aefd38a-f0af-56f3-8680-91f6be07b899-9866221.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Film of the Week: &apos;Her Private Hell&apos;\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Cinema<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Film of the Week: &#8216;Her Private Hell&#8217; &#8211; Winding Refn&#8217;s horny bore<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921013-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2921013\" data-cid=\"9891320\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921013-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/13\/20\/320x180_cmsv2_ce781966-171e-5608-b625-290bc85abe97-9891320.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Are these the most underrated albums of all time? \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Overlooked masterpieces: What are the most underrated albums of all time?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921234-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2921234\" data-cid=\"9892471\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921234-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/24\/71\/320x180_cmsv2_e932d223-9c55-5bc9-bbb0-4ed60acd984d-9892471.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Barton\u2026 Jack Barton: Could this unknown British actor be our new James Bond?  \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Barton\u2026 Jack Barton: Could this unknown British actor be the next James Bond?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921322-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2921322\" data-cid=\"9892933\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921322-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/29\/33\/320x180_cmsv2_d4156d88-2336-5062-b386-e8435505b555-9892933.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\u2018Disgusting\u2019: Donald Trump faces backlash for posting AI image of him and Dolly Parton\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    \u2018Disgusting\u2019: Donald Trump faces backlash for posting AI image of him and Dolly Parton<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921342-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2921342\" data-cid=\"9893355\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2921342-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/31\/59\/320x180_cmsv2_05eb9e47-d03b-5213-bd5d-26af22ae96bc-9893159.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dion during her 2019 world tour\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    C\u00e9line Dion concerts: Canadian star returns to Paris after six years away from the stage<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2919491-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2919491\" data-cid=\"9884024\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2919491-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/88\/40\/24\/320x180_cmsv2_bd48ea31-7a63-5a27-a881-6ef340bb889f-9884024.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Julien Vinet and Sam Alekksandra, together &apos;Ponks&apos;, will represent Malta at the Gwangju Biennale\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Malta goes beyond baroque at the Gwangju Biennale<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921322-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2921322\" data-cid=\"9892933\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    \u2018Disgusting\u2019: Donald Trump faces backlash for posting AI image of him and Dolly Parton<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920991-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920991\" data-cid=\"9891280\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Thieves steal Villena Treasure in under four minutes, one of Europe&#8217;s great Bronze Age hoards<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2921234-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2921234\" data-cid=\"9892471\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Barton\u2026 Jack Barton: Could this unknown British actor be the next James Bond?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920723-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-related the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920723\" data-cid=\"9889736\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why are Dolly Parton fans lashing out at Donald Trump?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2920766-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2920766\" data-cid=\"9890060\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Butter late than never: Paris gets its first boutique entirely dedicated to butter<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Ridley Scott has had his fair share of hits and misses. \u00a0For every\u00a0Alien,\u00a0Blade Runner,\u00a0Gladiator\u00a0and The Martian, there\u2019s a\u00a0Kingdom of Heaven,\u00a0A Good Year, whatever\u00a0The Counselor\u00a0was,\u00a0Napoleon, and an underpowered Glad-II-ator.No bad word shall be said about\u00a0Alien: Covenant or House of Gucci. The former is a lot better than you remember, and the latter is a camp masterpiece, and that\u2019s that.Frustratingly, his latest film sits very comfortably in the \u2018miss\u2019 category.Based on Peter Heller\u2019s 2012 novel of the same name, The Dog Stars stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, your ridiculously handsome everyman and\u00a0former pilot trying to get by in a post-pandemic\u00a0America. Following a viral apocalypse which wiped out most of the human population, including his wife,\u00a0our hero survives by scavenging supplies with his dog, Jasper. Which is a lovely name for a dog. Well done there.Unlike his Marine-turned-survivalist compadre Bangley (Josh Brolin), Hig clings onto hope that humanity will find a way. He flies his Cessna plane looking for signs of life and is drawn to a mysterious radio signal, which leads him\u00a0to a military base. There, he meets Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her gruff father (Guy Pearce), and starts to think of a life beyond survival.However, feral gangs of \u201creapers\u201d threaten any future plans&#8230; \u00a0Whatever your past directorial credentials may be and as impressive as it is to still be behind the camera at the age of 88, there\u2019s no excuse for making the post-apocalypse boring and this derivative.There\u2019s some 28 Days \/ Weeks \/ Years Later in The Dog Stars,\u00a0a bit of I Am Legend, echoes to Mad Max, and even some Fallout for good measure. All great touchpoints, but they don\u2019t coalesce into something remotely interesting. They just make you wish you were watching a film either scary, thrilling or profound enough to retain your attention.As it is, The Dog Stars wants to be both an introspective character study and a post-apocalyptic actioner, and fails in both respects. It\u2019s too uneventful to be exciting, not scary enough to be impactful, and too puddle-deep to be insightful. Worse, this is a film that doesn\u2019t say much of anything about the apocalypse,\u00a0societal collapse, or shared grief. Unlike the source material, Mark L. Smith\u2019s script never grapples with its themes and instead chooses to underdevelop the characters every step of the way.Aside from Erik Messerschmidt&#8217;s stunning cinematography, the interminably slow pace led me to focus on an unexpected element in The Dog Stars: facial hair. Specifically, Josh Brolin\u2019s\u00a0goated goatee.Boy, can that man do facial follicles.Few men can. Idris Elba can. Adam Driver cannot. Ethan Hawk is a master. Orlando Bloom\u00a0is not. Christian Bale can grow a wild one. Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet may get there one day.It\u2019s a subtle art, and Brolin \u2013 and not for the first time \u2013 sports a majestic one here, giving grizzled uncle energy that made me think: If it is the end of the world as we know it, I will find solace in staying away from radio signals and keeping close to your scraggly growth, which assures me that I\u2019ll be safe.So, unless you\u2019re in the market to watch a smouldering Jacob Elordi wearing a Carhartt jacket and staring into the distance &#8211; or looking to\u00a0start a goatee appreciation society like I am seriously considering &#8211; stay away from this overlong and bizarrely bland effort from a filmmaker who\u2019ll hopefully give us one last great film before another pandemic hits.The Dog Stars is out in cinemas now.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2026\/08\/28\/euronews-cultures-film-of-the-week-the-dog-stars-a-smouldering-jacob-elordi-cant-save-us&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/89\/27\/46\/1200x675_cmsv2_dfa46223-5ca9-5887-a665-f72b52e57b60-9892746.jpg&#8221;] No Comment Norway mourns king Harald V as crown prince Haakon becomes king Europe News Europe&#8217;s monarchs and world leaders mourn Norway&#8217;s King Harald V Nepal Number of missing in Nepal floods passes 2,400 as EU pledges aid Europe News Ceuta &#8216;on the brink of collapse&#8217; as Spain seeks Frontex support No [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2116949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2116949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2116949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2116949\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2116949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2116949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2116949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}