Director: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, J. K. Simmons, Anna Lambe
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 101 mins

Heart of the Beast is the new film directed by David Ayer, who’s credits include the excellent End of Watch and Fury, through to the guilty pleasure of The Beekeeper to the very flawed Suicide Squad and Bright. Here, he reunites with Fury lead Brad Pitt who plays James Belmont – a retired Special Forces veteran, trekking through the Alaskan wilderness with his German Shepherd, haunted by visions of when the two of them were in combat. When James crashes his plane after a mid-flight heart attack, he’s forced on a 58-mile trek to safety with his dog, facing all kinds of obstacles along the way.

Although it’s largely conventional, this is an excellent survival thriller that I found gripping from start to finish. Brad Pitt gives a terrific performance in what’s a very physical role and I really bought the bond between man and best friend, and how they both have PTSD from their wartime experiences. Apart from a fun turn by J. K. Simmons at the beginning and an appearance by Anna Lambe, this is mostly Pitt’s film and he really carries it.

Ayer knows how to stage an action sequence and there are some terrific set pieces here, especially the central plane crash, one involving a log crossing and an encounter with wolves. The film’s vividly shot by Mauro Fiore, and some of the aerial shots of the wilderness are stunning, showcasing the natural beauty juxtaposed with nature’s ferocity.

Although you could easily criticise Heart of the Beast for being conventional, it just does everything really well and it’s got a real emotional wallop in its final act. I felt for James and his dog throughout and my heart was racing through some of the set pieces. You could very easily call this film a lite version of The Revenant, but Heart of the Beast really works and it’s Ayer’s best film in a while.