The Power of the Dog (2021)

The Power of the Dog is a slow-burning, psychological Western about power, repression and the dangerous edges of desire. Set in 1925 Montana, the film follows charismatic rancher Phil Burbank, a cold, brilliant presence who rules his cattle outfit through cruelty and dark charm. When Phil’s brother George marries Rose, a widowed restaurant owner, and brings her sensitive son Peter to the ranch, the household’s brittle balance fractures: Phil torments Rose and flirts with gentleness toward Peter, and those oscillations of cruelty and tenderness set the story’s tension in motion. Watching the film is an atmospheric experience: wide, windswept landscapes and carefully composed, intimate interiors create a sense of isolation and built-up pressure. The narrative unfolds deliberately, revealing character and motive through small, charged gestures, long silences and the slow unspooling of secrets rather than overt action. The performances pull you in—Phil’s menace and complexity, Rose’s vulnerability, and Peter’s quiet intelligence—so much of the drama plays out beneath the surface. Expect to feel unsettled, intrigued and emotionally engaged rather than soothed. The movie rewards attention: it’s rich in subtext about masculinity, grief, shame and the ways people wield power over one another. If you like character-driven films with strong visual style, psychological depth and a steadily mounting tension, this will be a compelling, haunting watch.

Actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons

Director: Jane Campion

Runtime: 126 min

Genres: Drama, Romance, Western

6.4 /10 89 /100 6.8 /10 7.4 /10