What The Dog Stars’s Messy Failures Reveal About Ridley Scott

It’s a bit odd that The Dog Stars, the newest film by legendary director Ridley Scott, is coming out in the dog days (pun intended) of summer. At least until you see the movie and discover that the big post-apocalyptic adventure by the Oscar-winning director of Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, and The Martian is a mess.The Dog Stars features Jacob Elordi as Hig, an isolated mechanic and pilot who scavenges for supplies in the ruins of Colorado, following a pandemic that contributed to the collapse of civilization. He and his partner in survival Bangley (Josh Brolin) don’t have the closest relationship. Instead, Hig’s truest companions are his loyal dog Jasper and his memories of his deceased wife.Desperate for a little hope in the bleakness of this world, Hig leaves Bangley behind in search of other survivors, encountering Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her father (Guy Pearce), who are also doing their best to live a pioneer life, essentially. But folks like Cima and Pops are rarities in this world, which is otherwise consumed by warring tribes of unhinged raiders. (One particularly fearsome group is either painted or tattooed with symbols that bear a striking resemblance to the art of K...