Heart of the Beast: Brad Pitt And A Combat Dog Fight To Survive Alaska In David Ayer's New Thriller

Brad Pitt is having one of the busiest stretches of his late career, and Heart of the Beast, in cinemas from today via Paramount Pictures, might be the simplest pitch of the lot: one man, one dog, one plane crash and a lot of very cold wilderness.

It reunites Pitt with David Ayer, who directed him in the war film Fury in 2014, and it looks set to be one of the more crowd-pleasing adult dramas of the autumn.

What Heart of the Beast Is About

Pitt plays James Belmont, a Special Forces officer travelling with Odin, his retired combat dog. When their plane goes down in the Alaskan wilderness, the two have to rely entirely on each other to stay alive. The film is built around that bond, the loyalty between a soldier and the animal who served beside him, more than around big set pieces.

Odin is played by a dog named Uber, who by several accounts gives Pitt a real run for the spotlight.

Cast And Crew

Alongside Pitt, the cast includes Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe (True Detective: Night Country). The script is by Cameron Alexander, and composer Jared Michael Fry scores the film in his third collaboration with Ayer.

Despite the Alaska setting, the film was shot in and around Queenstown, New Zealand, between March and May 2025. That is the same region that has doubled for countless fantasy worlds, and the landscapes are a big part of the film's appeal.

Festival Buzz And Early Reactions

Heart of the Beast was programmed in a non-competition slot at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival ahead of release. Early write-ups have drawn comparisons to The Revenant, with one review calling it Pitt's version of that film. Deadline's review focused on the man-and-dog relationship at the centre of the story. The film runs about 101 minutes and carries a PG-13 rating in the US for violence, peril, bloody injury images and some language.

Is It Worth Watching?

If you like survival dramas and do not mind the occasional scene built to make you cry about a dog, this is an easy recommendation. Ayer is usually at his best when a film stays small and physical, and this one appears to do exactly that. It is also a film that plays better on a big screen, given the scenery.

Quick Facts

• Film: Heart of the Beast

• Director: David Ayer

• Writer: Cameron Alexander

• Cast: Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe, Uber as Odin

• Distributor: Paramount Pictures

• Release: September 25, 2026

• Runtime: Approx. 101 minutes

• Rating: PG-13 (US)

• Filmed in: Queenstown, New Zealand

FAQs

What is Heart of the Beast about?

A Special Forces officer and his retired combat dog survive a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness and must depend on each other to get out alive.

Who directed Heart of the Beast?

David Ayer, who previously directed Brad Pitt in Fury.

Does the dog die in Heart of the Beast?

We are keeping this spoiler-free. Check a dedicated spoiler guide before watching if you want to know.

Where was Heart of the Beast filmed?

In Queenstown, New Zealand, which stands in for Alaska.