Jacob Elordi Enters a World Where Survival Is Everything
A new post-apocalyptic movie has officially arrived in theaters, and it brings together one of Hollywood’s biggest young stars with one of its most legendary directors.
The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott, is now playing in theaters as of August 28, 2026. The film stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney.
Based on Peter Heller’s acclaimed novel, the movie takes audiences into a future devastated by a deadly pandemic.
But this isn’t simply another story about zombies, monsters or people desperately trying to escape an apocalyptic disaster.
At its heart, The Dog Stars is about something much more human:
What happens when almost everything familiar disappears — and survival becomes the only thing left?
What Is The Dog Stars About?
The story takes place in 2035, after a devastating flu pandemic has destroyed much of the world’s population.
Civilization has collapsed.
Food, fuel and medicine are difficult to find.
Trust has become almost as valuable as any physical resource.
In this world, Hig, played by Jacob Elordi, is a former pilot and mechanic trying to survive with his beloved dog, Jasper. He lives at an abandoned airstrip with Bangley, a hardened former Marine played by Josh Brolin.
The two men couldn’t be more different.
Hig still believes there may be something worth protecting beyond simply staying alive.
Bangley is much more suspicious.
For him, survival comes first.
Anyone approaching their home could potentially be a threat.
And that difference in philosophy becomes one of the central conflicts of the movie.
Jacob Elordi Takes on a Very Different Role
Jacob Elordi has become one of the most recognizable young actors in Hollywood, but The Dog Stars gives him an opportunity to move into much darker territory.
He plays Hig, a survivor who has lost almost everything but continues looking for signs that humanity might still exist beyond his isolated home.
Hig isn’t portrayed as a traditional action hero.
He’s vulnerable.
He’s grieving.
And he is trying to hold onto his memories of the life he had before the pandemic.
Ridley Scott has praised Elordi’s physicality and his natural connection with animals, which became particularly important because Hig’s relationship with Jasper is central to the story.
The director even described Elordi as having a natural, practical quality that helped him fit into the demanding world of the film.
Jasper the Dog Is More Important Than You Might Expect
Despite the title, The Dog Stars isn’t simply a movie about a dog.
But Jasper is extremely important to Hig.
The dog represents something from his old life — a connection to his late wife and the memories that remain after civilization has collapsed.
According to Ridley Scott, preserving the relationship between Hig and Jasper was one of the most important elements of Peter Heller’s novel that he wanted to retain in the film.
That relationship gives the movie an emotional center.
Hig isn’t only fighting to survive.
He’s trying to preserve the pieces of his former life that still mean something.
Josh Brolin Plays Hig’s Opposite
While Hig represents hope and human connection, Josh Brolin’s Bangley represents a much harsher approach to survival.
Bangley is a former Marine who has transformed the abandoned airstrip into a heavily protected home.
He doesn’t trust strangers.
He doesn’t take unnecessary chances.
And he believes that hesitation can get you killed.
The relationship between Hig and Bangley therefore becomes one of the movie’s most important elements.
They need each other.
But they don’t always agree on what survival should look like.
The World Has Changed Completely
The pandemic in The Dog Stars has left behind a world where ordinary things have become extremely valuable.
Food is scarce.
Fuel is difficult to obtain.
Medicine can be nearly impossible to find.
And technology that once seemed essential may no longer matter as much as basic human skills.
Ridley Scott has highlighted the importance of this change in the film’s world.
A farmer who knows how to grow food or a doctor who knows how to treat illness can suddenly become more valuable than someone with advanced technological skills.
It creates a fascinating question:
What skills would actually matter if modern civilization disappeared tomorrow?
Margaret Qualley Joins the Story
The movie also stars Margaret Qualley as Cima.
Hig eventually encounters Cima and her father, Pops, played by Guy Pearce.
Their meeting changes Hig’s understanding of what might still exist beyond his isolated world.
Cima offers something Hig has almost forgotten:
real human connection.
After years of surviving in isolation, meeting another person who represents something beyond fear and violence becomes deeply important to him.
This gives the movie a more emotional direction than its post-apocalyptic setting might initially suggest.
Guy Pearce Plays Pops
Guy Pearce plays Pops, Cima’s father.
Like Bangley, Pops is deeply prepared for a dangerous world.
But his relationship with Hig and Cima adds another layer to the story.
The characters aren’t simply trying to defeat an enemy.
They’re trying to decide whom they can trust.
And in a world where trust can get someone killed, that’s an extremely difficult decision.
Benedict Wong Brings Another Perspective
Benedict Wong plays Aaron, a member of a hidden Mennonite community.
The group provides another perspective on survival.
Instead of relying on weapons and technology, their knowledge of farming and community becomes extremely valuable.
Their existence also reinforces one of the movie’s central ideas:
When civilization collapses, people may have to rediscover skills that modern society has largely forgotten.
Ridley Scott Is Behind the Camera
One of the biggest reasons The Dog Stars has attracted attention is its director.
Ridley Scott has spent decades making some of Hollywood’s most influential films.
His filmography includes Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator and The Martian.
With The Dog Stars, Scott is returning to a world of science fiction and survival — although this time the story is much more grounded.
Rather than focusing entirely on futuristic technology, the movie examines what happens to ordinary people after the systems they depend on disappear.
This Isn’t a Typical Apocalyptic Action Movie
If you expect nonstop explosions and constant action, The Dog Stars may surprise you.
The movie spends considerable time exploring loneliness, grief and human relationships.
The action is there, but the story is more interested in what happens between those moments.
Hig spends much of his life flying over the Colorado wilderness, searching for supplies and signs of other survivors.
A mysterious radio transmission eventually gives him a reason to leave the relative safety of his home and venture into unknown territory.
That decision becomes the turning point of the story.
The Mysterious Radio Signal
Hig’s world changes when he receives a mysterious radio transmission.
For someone who has spent years surrounded by silence, hearing another possible voice from the outside world is impossible to ignore.
The signal represents something more powerful than information.
It represents hope.
But following it also means leaving the safety Hig and Bangley have created.
And once Hig begins investigating, he discovers that the world outside their airstrip may be even more dangerous than he imagined.
The Movie Is Based on a Bestselling Novel
The Dog Stars is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name.
The screenplay was written by Mark L. Smith, while Scott produced the film alongside Michael Pruss, Smith and Cliff Roberts.
Heller’s novel is known for combining post-apocalyptic survival with introspection and emotional storytelling.
That approach carries over into the movie.
The story isn’t simply asking how people survive the end of civilization.
It asks whether people can remain human while doing it.
What Are Critics Saying?
The movie arrived with mixed early reviews.
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the film at 40% from critics, based on more than 100 reviews, although audience reactions are still developing.
Some critics have praised the film’s atmosphere, performances and emotional ambition.
Others have argued that its story feels too familiar within the crowded post-apocalyptic genre.
The Hollywood Reporter described Elordi, Qualley and Brolin as a strong ensemble but raised concerns about the movie’s storytelling.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press highlighted the film’s more contemplative approach and its focus on isolation, hope and human connection.
So audiences may have very different reactions depending on what they expect from the movie.
Why Some Viewers May Love It
Fans of slower, atmospheric science-fiction stories may find plenty to appreciate.
The movie has:
A devastated future world
A strong human-animal relationship
Survivalist aviation sequences
Ridley Scott’s visual style
An emotional story about loss
Moments of action and danger
A strong ensemble cast
It also doesn’t treat the apocalypse as simply an excuse for action.
Instead, it uses the disaster to examine relationships.
Why Some Viewers May Be Disappointed
The post-apocalyptic genre is already crowded.
Audiences have seen stories about pandemic survivors, abandoned cities, dangerous groups and isolated settlements many times before.
That means a new movie needs to offer something different.
Some critics have argued that The Dog Stars doesn’t completely escape those familiar conventions.
The film’s slower pace may also divide viewers.
Those looking for a fast-moving survival thriller may find it more contemplative than expected.
But for viewers interested in character-driven stories, that slower approach may actually be one of its strengths.
The Film Is Rated R
The Dog Stars is rated R and has a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes.
The rating reflects the movie’s violence and language.
That means this isn’t being positioned as a family-friendly adventure.
It’s a darker survival story aimed at adult audiences.
Where Can You Watch The Dog Stars?
The movie is currently playing in theaters following its August 28 release.
It has also been released as an IMAX presentation, giving audiences an opportunity to experience Ridley Scott’s large-scale visuals on a bigger screen.
A streaming release has not yet been given a confirmed date.
For now, anyone wanting to see the film immediately will need to head to theaters.
Is The Dog Stars Worth Watching?
That depends on what you want from a post-apocalyptic movie.
If you’re looking for an enormous blockbuster filled with constant action, this may not be the movie for you.
But if you enjoy atmospheric science fiction, survival stories and character-driven dramas, The Dog Stars offers something more reflective.
The combination of Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Ridley Scott makes it an interesting addition to the 2026 movie lineup.
And the relationship between Hig and Jasper gives the story an emotional dimension that separates it from a straightforward survival thriller.
Final Thoughts
The Dog Stars has officially arrived, bringing Ridley Scott’s latest vision of a post-apocalyptic world to theaters.
Released on August 28, 2026, the film stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, with Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney rounding out the cast.
At first glance, it may look like another story about surviving after civilization collapses.
But underneath the action and ruined landscapes is a more emotional story about grief, companionship, trust and hope.
Hig has survived the end of the world, but surviving isn’t necessarily the same as living.
His relationship with Jasper keeps him connected to his past, while his encounters with other survivors force him to consider whether there might still be a future worth fighting for.
That is ultimately what makes The Dog Stars interesting.
The apocalypse may have destroyed the world Hig knew.
But it hasn’t completely destroyed his belief that people can still find something worth protecting.
And as Ridley Scott brings this world to the big screen, audiences are left with one central question:
When everything else disappears, what will you do to remain human?
