Jacob Elordi stars as Hig, a lone survivor navigating a desolate Earth in Ridley Scott’s 2035-set post-apocalyptic drama The Dog Stars. Adapted from Peter Heller’s 2012 bestseller and featuring Josh Brolin and Margaret Qualley, the film blends familiar genre tropes with character-driven survival elements.
The Bottom Line
- The Premise: Jacob Elordi plays Hig, an airplane-flying mechanic surviving a deadly pandemic in Eerie, Colorado, alongside armed survivalist Bangley, played by Josh Brolin.
- The Production: Directed by Ridley Scott with a script by Mark L. Smith, the film utilizes Italian locations to mimic the stark Colorado landscape.
Navigating Familiar Post-Apocalyptic Territory Under Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s latest directorial effort plunges audiences into a 2035 landscape where a killer virus has wiped out most of the human population. The film follows Hig, a former mechanic stationed at a deserted airstrip in Eerie, Colorado, who patrols empty skies in his yellow Cessna plane. The project adapts Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, with a screenplay penned by Mark L. Smith, whose previous writing credits include The Revenant and The Midnight Sky.
Yet, the narrative framework immediately invites comparisons to established genre benchmarks. Observers note distinct thematic echoes of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, George Miller’s Mad Max franchise, and the wasteland aesthetics of the video game Fallout. Rather than breaking entirely new ground, Scott’s feature leans into familiar tropes: roving gangs of tattooed antagonists known as Reapers, dwindling supplies, and a bleak world where civilization has fractured.
Cast Dynamics and Production Realities Behind the Scenes
At the center of the narrative is the pairing of Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. Brolin portrays Bangley, a crotchety military survivalist who views the remaining pockets of humanity with extreme skepticism and defends his territory with lethal precision. According to reporting, Brolin very nearly walked away from the production after just the first day on set, remarking, “I’ve Got To Get The F*ck Out Of Here,” before ultimately staying with the project.
As Hig, Elordi continues to cement his trajectory as a viable leading man. His character clings to a fragile optimism, believing that life outside his immediate radar—specifically near Grand Junction—might still mirror the world before the pandemic. Production-wise, the crew utilized locations in Italy to stand in for the rugged, desolate expanses of Colorado.
| Production Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source Material | The Dog Stars by Peter Heller (2012 bestseller) |
| Director | Ridley Scott |
| Screenwriter | Mark L. Smith |
| Primary Cast | Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce |
| Setting | 2035 Post-Pandemic United States (filmed in Italy) |
Expanding the Journey: From Isolation to Encounter
As the plot unfolds, Hig’s routine flights—where he drops supplies to a local community of immune children accompanied by his co-pilot dog, Jasper—are interrupted. Running low on fuel, Hig touches down in an isolated area where he encounters Pops, played by Guy Pearce, and Cima, played by Margaret Qualley. These characters add another layer of wary survivors trying to carve out an existence away from the violence.
This encounter leads to one of the production’s standout set pieces. Scott orchestrates an action sequence where Hig, Cima, and Pops must coordinate a tense takeoff in the repaired Cessna while hostile forces attempt to intercept them.
