Black Dog film review: A thoroughly fresh examination of masculinity
Black Dog film review and star rating: ★★★★
Not to be confused with the Black Dog movie from 1998 starring Patrick Swayze and Meat Loaf which, let’s face it, sounds like an amazing way to spend a Sunday afternoon, this new film with the same name carries a thoroughly fresh examination of masculinity, and one which doesn’t fall easily into established tropes.
Black Dog offers a subtle and nuanced take on the relationship of two young boys on the cusp of adulthood. Like Little Miss Sunshine, Sideways and The Motorcycle Diaries, both teenagers are on the move, fleeing the capital together to drive up north.
But as this is a road trip movie you should expect the journey to be about more than getting from London to Scotland in a banged up old car. There will be revelations!
It’s difficult to talk about what’s so interesting about Black Dog without giving away the film’s twist, but all that I’ll say is that it relies on strong writing, some brilliant performances and a confident vision from 23-year-old writer-director George Jaques. We’re in London when we meet two teenagers from different backgrounds. Nathan, played by Avatar 2 star Jamie Flatters, is living in foster care while the shy Sam, played by Keenan Munn-Francis, comes from a background of privilege.
Flatters worked on the script with Jaques and both writers have a talent for capturing real, everyday language. Nathan feels like a true 17-year-old, being uncomfortably aggressive towards Sam in a way that makes you feel properly uncomfortable. But you know he’s got a solid heart. Sam actor Munn-Francis scrunches his eyes to convey how at that age you have literally no idea how to express your frustrations healthily.
Jaques lays the script atop some beautiful looking scenes. Shot around Britain and often confined to the cramped innards of a car, we feel the excitement the boys must feel about leaving London when Jaques labours over indulgent shots of nature, especially when they arrive for a stopover in Yorkshire.
A pertinent scene at a British beach where the duo go for a freezing cold swim is about the physical privilege of youth, of the boundless joy of jumping in cold water just because you can, but it’s not long before the tempestuous streak returns and snaps them back to a volatile head space. The boys oscillate between violence, anger and admiration in a way that feels bravely authentic.
Jaques wrote this piece when he was at the age the characters are and said he did very little editing to the script in the five years since. If he can make a habit of writing this sort of honest, richly-strung dialogue then I’m excited to see what’s next for the Londoner.
The new Black Dog film is awaiting a UK release date but premiered at the BFI London Film Festival