The Power of the Dog feels like a film out of time. It takes place in 1925, but it’s shocking to hear cars mentioned. It was made in 2021, but feels equally indebted to the neo-Westerns of the 1960s; the Paul Newman vehicle “Hud” immediately jumps to mind. Director Jane Campion’s latest is timeless, in that way; it’s a slow, rewarding watch that deserves to be seen again and again.
The Power of the Dog is an adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name. It follows ranchers Phil and George Burbank, George’s new wife Rose and her son Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee respectively).
Phil is a volatile, borderline despicable human being who uses his power over the ranch to terrorize Rose and Peter. He sees Peter’s effeminate nature and penchant for biology as an affront to his macho way of life. If Peter is next in the family line, it is not a future Phil wants. Phil is also hiding something that Peter threatens to unravel. The machismo is a mask and Peter can push right through it.
Phil is the center of the film, even when he’s off screen. Cumberbatch rises to the challenge, delivering a performance deserving of the reverence some characters give him. All of the performances in the film are top-tier.
Dunst and Smit-McPhee are especially powerful. They take the brunt of Phil’s barrage of hatred and convincingly play out their character’s respective arcs. Rose is driven to alcoholism as Phil gets the best of her, while Peter is insistent, if a little aloof as he wanders right into Phil’s heart.
Jane Campion is not a filmmaker who appears often; Power is her first film in over a decade. But The Power of the Dog is reminder of what she is capable of as a director. It’s another masterwork, an unhurried and unsettling film that earns its pace with visuals that would stun on the TV or the big screen.
It’s certainly not a film for everyone. Its languid pace and wide open spaces make it feel much longer than its two hours. However, those who stick out will find one of the most rewatchable “prestige” films of the year.