Ridley Scott's new divisive sci-fi movie The Dog Stars is secretly the Fallout movie that fans have been waiting years to watch based on the middle act of the film. Historically, plenty of movies that haven't resonated with critics have had an appeal for audiences in a variety of ways, as is often paid testament to by plenty of films with low critic scores having far higher audience scores from casual moviegoers.
Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars is the latest film to experience this phenomenon, with a 39% critic Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to its 71% Popcornmeter score from general audiences. Part of this divide is no doubt down to the contrast in the film's own story, with its start and end being far more slow-paced, compared to the frenetic and frenzied middle of its story.
That said, this middle act is all the more interesting in that it takes the story of The Dog Stars away from being a more somber tale into something that focuses on an unusual post-apocalyptic faction that's formed in the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, bringing its protagonists into a side story that feels something like what would happen if one of the Fallout game series' more memorable questlines were adapted into film form.
The Dog Stars' Middle Act Is Effectively A Fallout Movie In All The Best Ways
The Dog Stars begins by introducing viewers to its post-apocalyptic setting and the scenario that main character Hig finds himself in before he decides to explore the nearby parts of the world via his plane after losing his dog Jasper and his last connection to his previous life.
This slow-paced opening seems to set up a movie that will largely be less action-based, and more centered around thoughtful explorations of what it means to survive in a world wherein much of the meaning of life has been removed, and survival has become much harder. Then, Hig's new allies Cima and Pops end up having to hitch a ride with him after they're all attacked by raiders, and things suddenly get much more intense.
The movie's middle act - wherein the trio find themselves at Grand Junction Regional Airport, the place Hig was searching for after hearing their radio broadcast - takes a quick turn into a dramatic and action-packed scenario that feels like something right out of the Fallout game series. The group find themselves in a tense tour of the airport - complete with a look at the oddly normal lives of those drinking and playing golf in a waiting room - before all hell breaks loose when the unhinged and unsettlingly chipper airhostess leader Darlene tries to kidnap Cima and marry her off to one of the airport's guards to keep her for her medical skills.
From there, Hig sets Darlene and her guards on fire with the alcohol they plied the trio with, and the group then flee in an extensive action scene wherein it's revealed that the Grand Junction Regional Airport group are cannibals who have been leading people here to eat them, and have taken photos of every last victim as a macabre trophy.
This sequence is then closed off with the group using Hig's grenades to destroy the facility, ending a truly wild chapter of the film that feels like something right out of the likes of Fallout: New Vegas' White Glove Society side quests.
The Dog Stars' Reviews & Story Framing Mean Its Middle Act May Remain A Hidden Gem
The Dog Stars has seen some less-than-stellar reviews from critics since its release on August 28, 2026, as is evidenced by its current 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes. These reviews appear to have played a role in its initial box office results being on the lower side, and mean that fewer people are likely to go to see the movie at this point in time.
Similarly, the story framing of The Dog Stars means it's harder for those who would enjoy the sheer intensity and unhinged nature of The Dog Stars' middle act to see it, since the movie's trailers and promotions focus on the start and end of the film. Of course, this matter is also more complex since said the middle of the movie arguably works best for those who go into it unaware of what's about to happen, and how things are about to shift into a more surreal territory before leading into the final act of the movie and The Dog Stars' more peaceful ending.
Altogether, this means The Dog Stars' middle act and its undeniable action-packed appeal may remain something of a hidden gem until the movie releases on streaming, and possibly even later than that if it doesn't pick up traction on a streaming platform at this point in time as well.
Release Date
August 28, 2026
Runtime
119 minutes
Writers
Mark L. Smith
Producers
Mark L. Smith, Michael A. Pruss, Ridley Scott, Cliff Roberts
English (US) ·