THE POWER OF THE DOG (2021), Dir. by Jane Campion

It’s refreshing to experience a film like The Power of the Dog on a big screen in 2021; namely, non-IP, traditionally dramatic narrative storytelling that isn’t aimed at the biggest cash-cow demographic of teenage males. It only adds to this irony that it comes from the good folks at Netflix, who (arguably) helped push these kinds of movies out of theatres and onto our phones.

Nonetheless, Jane Campion has made one of the best movies of the year with The Power of the Dog. Highlights include flawless performance all-around from an incredible cast (save for the under-utilization of Thomasin McKenzie), and Jonny Greenwood’s work on this film is as haunting and awe-inspiring as any of his past scores. Campion makes incredible use of camera and pacing as well; technically speaking, none of the filmmaking is groundbreaking, but when it works this well, it doesn’t need to be. The Power of the Dog is everything it needs to be in the best way possible.