The last time we saw Brad Pitt on our screens, he was barreling around the racetrack in last year’s F1. In Heart of the Beast, his first offering for the 2026 movie calendar, his journey will be a lot slower and much colder. The survival thriller centers around retired Special Forces vet James Belmont and his dog Odin (played by canine actor Uber) on a 50-mile trek through the Alaskan wilderness. While Pitt’s performance is garnering acclaim, it’s Uber who has critics asking if a dog has ever won an Oscar.
It’s the chemistry between Brad Pitt’s James and his German Shepherd Odin — both of whom suffer from PTSD nightmares, the dog also sporting titanium teeth and a prosthetic leg — that is sure to have audiences sobbing, according to Pete Hammond of Deadline. Heart of the Beast features possibly Brad Pitt’s best work and a performance from the canine that’s among the best of 2026. The critic says:
The success of the film is also due in no small part to Pitt who makes us believe this animal is his soul brother, much more than just a pet, or even a partner in combat. Odin is all he has left and he will honor him no matter what it takes. No spoiler but Pitt will simply break your heart in doing just that. As for Odin, has any dog ever won an Oscar? Lassie, Benji, anyone? Well, it is high time. Odin delivers one of the best performances by an actor this year, hands down.
Frank Scheck of THR agrees, saying James’ feelings for Odin are “palpable,” and the way the dog looks at his co-star is so adoring that moviegoers may find themselves re-evaluating their own relationships. Scheck also agrees that Heart of the Beast packs a surprisingly emotional punch that will leave you in tears. He writes:
If you’ve seen the trailer for Brad Pitt’s new movie, you probably think that it’s a harrowing tale of survival in a dangerous wilderness. Don’t be fooled. Heart of the Beast is actually a love story, and one of the most moving to come along in a long time. That it’s a love story between a man and his dog doesn’t at all detract from its emotional impact. Indeed, Pitt displays an engagement with his co-star that may be his most resonant yet.
Jim Vejvoda of IGN gives it a “Great” 8 out of 10, saying Brad Pitt is splendid in the role, but the dog is the heart of the film. The critic says because of the relationship between James and Odin, he stayed invested in every moment of the duo’s grueling trek, writing:
Heart of the Beast pleasantly surprised me. While there are many visceral elements here we’ve seen before in other wilderness survival films … the one thing that makes director David Ayer’s film stand out is the primal love and devotion between a man and his three-legged best friend. Brad Pitt gives the movie his physical all, but it’s his understated, at times heartbreaking performance that will stay with me even more than any of the gruesome injuries his character sustains. And as performed by Uber, the combat dog Odin is a canine screen hero to remember.
Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire rates it a B-, writing that Heart of the Beast is a “red-blooded movie” aimed squarely at middle American audiences with its militaristic POV, but it’s also an unexpectedly intimate story about the connection between man and animal. It’s sure to touch anyone who’s ever felt closeness to a pet, according to Lattanzio’s review, which reads:
The dog is invincible and adorable. Even a large, hulking, howling bear does not stand an inch of a chance against Odin. Heart of the Beast is often just on the verge of vaunting in something magisterial, like voiceover ripped from the pages of White Fang by Jack London. But the visible, palpable, real bond between James and Odin (and then, of course, Pitt and Uber) would take a heart of stone not to be touched by.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety says director David Ayer draws from his logistical talent and his taste for violence to craft a survival tale that makes us feel the pain, fear and hardship of James and Odin’s journey. The critic concludes:
There’s one way to sum up Heart of the Beast, and that’s by saying, ‘This is a terrific performance — and Brad Pitt is extremely good too.’ Because Uber, the dog who plays Odin, does one of the most affecting pieces of canine acting I’ve seen since the days of Old Yeller and Lassie Come Home. You feel Odin’s weariness, his intelligence, his dogged loyalty. The bond he shares with James emanates from the heart of both beasts, and that makes the film a journey stirring in its primacy.
In addition to Brad Pitt and Uber, critics heaped praise on Uber’s trainer Andrew Simpson, as well as Uber’s sons Ryker, Zika and Hondo, who double for their father in certain scenes.
My ears have definitely perked up after reading so many good reviews about the connection between Brad Pitt and Uber. No wonder Pitt said he’d want the dog to replace George Clooney in Ocean’s Eleven. So far Heart of the Beast has garnered a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, so if you want to see this supposedly Oscar-worthy performance from a canine actor, grab your ticket to this one when it premieres Friday, September 25.
