Heart of the Beast (Christian Movie Review)
Heart of the Beast tells a simple but profound story; it’s a quiet, introspective film with a potent message of courage, friendship, and finding joy in a harsh and broken world.
About the Film
Flashy superhero films may inspire heroism, but there’s something deeply stirring about watching ordinary people overcome the challenges they face as flawed people living in a fallen world. Starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is a captivating survival drama about a former military man and his service dog braving the wilderness and battling their internal demons. Heart of the Beast tells a simple but profound story; it’s a quiet, introspective film with a potent message of courage, friendship, and finding joy in a harsh and broken world.
On the surface, Heart of the Beast doesn’t break any new ground. Many of the tropes of both the wilderness survival genre and the “dog movie” genre are present. Yet the film executes those familiar elements well, and its thematic depth lends the journey of James (Brad Pitt) and his dog Odin a sense of purpose and meaning.
With a background in high-adrenaline action flicks like The Fast and the Furious and The Beekeeper, Director David Ayer is a curious choice to helm this story. Arguably the high mark of his career was the 2014 war film Fury (also starring Brad Pitt), a movie many Christian audiences resonated with due to its authentic depiction of faith and religion. When I interviewed Ayer for Heart of the Beast, he referred to it as a “story of spiritual endurance” (check out the interview here). While not an overtly “faith-based” story, it showcases the beauty of God’s creation, demonstrates the nobility of the human spirit, and hints at a reality and hope that extends beyond this world.
Heart of the Beast is one of the most visually beautiful films in recent memory. The pristine cinematography (by Academy Award-winner Mauro Fiore) and the decision to film on location in New Zealand result in some stunning shots. The wilderness itself becomes a character in the film, a metaphor for the struggle for survival. It’s a story of relentless perseverance, of falling and getting back up.
Two scenes exemplify the movie’s central thesis. The first is an early scene between Brad Pitt and J. K. Simmons. It’s the only significant scene in which two human actors share the screen, as most of the film focuses exclusively on Brad Pitt and his dog. It’s a relatively inconsequential scene in a narrative sense, but it’s essential on a thematic level. In a film about a man who is isolated from the world (both literally and figuratively), the interaction is a reminder that others are traveling along the same path we are. We aren’t alone, even when we feel lost.
The second scene involves a tense encounter with a bear. As the heroes escape a perilous situation, they respond with an almost primal outburst of elation. That emotional contrast between joy and sorrow is at the core of Heart of the Beast. There are moments of thrilling tension, but also interludes of emotional rest in the beauty of creation. The wilderness is harsh and dangerous, yet also beautiful and exhilarating. There is suffering, but also the thrill of being alive. The film doesn’t minimize our struggles—suffering is often depicted in visceral ways—but it elevates the joy we experience when we reach the other side.
Heart of the Beast may get lost among the slate of flashier, action-packed movies being released this year. Yet audiences who find it will experience a moving and entertaining story. Heart of the Beast may not be one of the most memorable films of the year, but it’s among the most meaningful. The world is harsh, and life is difficult. But we don’t brave the wilderness alone. We may get knocked down. But like James and Odin, we possess the courage to get back up and press on toward the light.
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: There are a fair number of minor profanities, including “s—”, “d—”, and “a—.”
Violence: Throughout his struggle for survival, James is bloodied and bruised by the elements and by wild animals. Several bloody wounds are visible. There are also brief flashbacks to military combat and some verbal descriptions of violent acts.
Sexuality: None.
Engage The Film
Spiritual Endurance
The survival/thriller genre often offers vivid depictions of ordinary people struggling to persevere through life’s challenges. Director David Ayers refers to Heart of the Beast as “a story of spiritual endurance.”
While it lacks overt religious applications, Heart of the Beast provides a visual metaphor for Hebrews 12:1-3: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Heart of the Beast showcases what happens when we fix our eyes ahead and persevere toward the light. A scene near the end features the northern lights, bringing that spiritual metaphor to the forefront of the story. It’s an optimistic film, but also an honest one.
