The Power of the Dog (2021 film)

I’m so torn on this, from appreciating the film’s mission statement to feeling frustrated that it overstates its intent, from loving the production design and tangible care for the look of the film to never shaking that this is all cosplay, from feeling as though this is Benedict Cumberbatch at his best to being resigned that Cumberbatch will always come across as a different version of the same person. I can’t say I disliked this film, but at two hours, it went from being refreshing to annoying to exhausting even as it stepped above mediocrity. There’s better Westerns out there.

5