The Power of the Dog

It reviews better than it plays — admired more than it is enjoyed.

• “The Power of the Dog sticks its teeth into you so fast and furtively that you may not feel the sting on your skin until after the credits roll, but the delayed bite of the film’s ending doesn’t stop it from leaving behind a well-earned scar.”

  David Ehrlich, IndieWire · 100

• “The film is often hard to watch, but Campion and her uniformly excellent cast leaven the discomfort with a constant sense of prickling intrigue around what precisely we are watching play out here, and how far the ritual will go.”

  Robbie Collin, The Telegraph · 100

• “This is an exquisitely crafted film, its unhurried rhythms continually shifting as plangent notes of melancholy, solitude, torment, jealousy and resentment surface. Campion is in full control of her material, digging deep into the turbulent inner life of each of her characters with unerring subtlety.”

  David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter · 100

• “It's a film which shimmers with intelligence, and if the plot isn't clear until the very last scene, well, it's worth the wait. When that scene arrives, the purpose of every previous scene snaps into sharp focus, leaving you with the urge to go back to the beginning and watch the whole thing again.”

  Nicholas Barber, BBC · 100

• “This is a movie as big as the open sky, but one where human emotions are still distinctly visible, as fine and sharp as a blade of grass.”

  Stephanie Zacharek, Time · 100