Film Review - Black Dog (2023)

This film is legitimately just two bros in a car having an amazing time. Black Dog follows Nathan (Jamie Flatters), a foster kid who wants to travel to a foreign country with a foreign language—Scotland—to find his sister. He encounters our other lead, Sam (Keenan Munn-Francis), while being mugged, and Nathan saves him. This chance encounter leads to them traveling across the UK together.

My favourite aspect of Black Dog is that our two main leads, Jamie Flatters and Keenan Munn-Francis, have palpable chemistry together. Once they are on screen together, you cannot help but grin. They feel like two lads having the time of their lives. The film relies heavily on their performances, and I feel it would be a completely different film if they weren’t our leads. Flatters and Munn-Francis were tremendous, and I loved every minute they were on screen.

What I feel allows the performances to reach the heights they do is the script. The narrative that unfolds ranges from being lively to sentimental. A key plot involving a dog perfectly showcases our characters’ mindset and views on the world. It leads to powerful moments of human drama that worked well for me. However, quite ironically, when it comes to the story, the journey is better than the destination. Parts of the ending did work, but while I feel Sam got a definitive conclusion, Nathan’s narrative is left more open, and while I didn’t hate it, I did want more, as Nathan is such a fantastic character.

Black Dog is the debut feature of George Jaques, and it is shocking as the film is directed with such unmitigated ion and a true vision. He brings humanity and realness to this film, which allows it to prosper in an alluring way. The film also tackles some really important issues like eating disorders and loss. The way the film tackles these issues feels very pure and unfiltered but also treated with respect.

However, I found the film’s soundtrack to be truly forgettable. As I sit here and type this review, I legitimately could not tell you any moment where I felt the music added to a scene in a memorable or impressive way.

Black Dog is a successful debut feature. I had a very good time watching this little gem of a film with strong acting and a decent story that leads to a journey that I would recommend.