The Dog Stars

What it’s about

After a pandemic wipes out most of humanity, pilot Hig lives in an airplane hangar on an abandoned airfield with his dog and a gruff ex-Marine named Bangley. They fend off marauders. A radio transmission picked up during a flight suggests other survivors exist. Hig decides to fly his old Cessna toward the signal's source, leaving the relative safety of the base.

What hooks you

Ridley Scott directs, with Jacob Elordi as Hig, Josh Brolin as Bangley, Margaret Qualley as Cima, Guy Pearce as Pops, and Allison Janney as Darlene. The screenplay is by Peter Heller and Mark L. Smith, based on Heller's novel.

Who it’s for

It will appeal to those who like post-apocalyptic adventure grounded in a lonely protagonist's quest, and to readers of literary dystopias who enjoy a slow-burning search for human connection.