Jane Campion returns to the western with this 2021 drama about two brothers whose quiet ranching partnership fractures the moment one of them remarries.
What is The Power of the Dog about?
Phil Burbank runs a Montana cattle ranch with an iron grip, commanding respect from the hands who work under him and unease from almost everyone else. When his brother George brings home a widow and her teenage son to live at the ranch, Phil sets out to make their place there as uncomfortable as possible, needling the boy in particular with a cruelty that seems to feed on itself. What begins as open contempt slowly curdles into something more complicated, as an unlikely closeness forms between Phil and the son he once mocked, and the ranch's calm surface hides currents neither brother fully understands.
About the cast
Benedict Cumberbatch leads as Phil Burbank, with Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons as the new arrivals to the family, George and Rose. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Rose's son, and Keith Carradine, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon and Adam Beach fill out the ranch's wider circle.
Context & significance
Adapted from Thomas Savage's novel and shot across the landscapes of New Zealand standing in for 1920s Montana, the film trades the western's usual gunfights for a slow study of masculinity, repression and control within one household. Jane Campion's direction favors long, patient scenes and a score that unsettles rather than swells, building tension out of glances and silences rather than incident. The film arrived to considerable attention during its awards-season run, drawing praise in particular for its performances and Campion's control of tone across a story that keeps its true intentions hidden until late. Its pacing rewards close attention: small gestures early on carry weight that only becomes clear well into the runtime.
Watching The Power of the Dog on Ktime
K-Time carries the film with a free account login, offering both Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles for viewers who prefer either. The service's Farsi-language interface makes it easy for Persian-speaking audiences to find slower, character-driven dramas like this one alongside more mainstream titles.