The Dog (2024)

-Written by Marty Coney. 

2024 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!

The Dog is a short film that grapples with loss and how we deal with the death of loved ones. Danielle Baynes crafted a very powerful and moving film that will tug at your heartstrings right from the fist minute and won't stop until the credits roll twelve-minutes later.

The first time I tried to watch The Dog I had to turn it off because I wasn't ready for it. I was in tears by the emotional weight of having to put down a beloved family pet and the impact it has on the family. As a dog owner it really hit home just how hard it would be to see your best friend be put to sleep and never wake up. It also shows the impact that putting down an animal has on the vets who have to do an incredibly difficult job. It couldn't be easy to see animals come into your surgery every day in pain and know that they won't be walking out; the strain that puts on their mental health. 

Veterinary practitioners hold a job that takes a severe toll and the suicide rate is very high compared to other professions. We trust vets to take care of our animals but we rarely think of the toll it takes on them. It's a privilege that they hold sacred but suffer for it in silence, with grace and dignity. 

The Dog starts with our vet Claire (Kate Walsh) having the unenviable job of putting a beautiful dog to sleep with the help of her assistant Joe (Justin Amankwah) while a father and daughter watch on, stricken with grief. Over the course of her shift Claire battles with her inner demons and starts to contemplate taking her own life. 

The Dog packs a lot into its short runtime, it's one of the most emotional pieces of cinema I've seen in a long time. Walsh plays the part so well. At the beginning she is comforting a family and trying to be strong and show compassion, but her thoughts take a dark turn and her once strong and vibrant will starts to crumble and you feel the burden she is carrying.

The cinematography is as dark as the tone of the movie. The veterinary clinic is dark with just a few lights to light the room and as Claire starts to battle with her conscience the camera takes on a pale blue lens to let you know that she is struggling with the job she is trying to do. The acting is superb, with all the cast portraying grief and loss and the hurt of never seeing a loved one so well. 

If you have lost a family member, and I include pets as family members, The Dog will hit you like a punch to the stomach. It's not light-hearted and it doesn't portray hope, but it does show the enormous weight we all carry around with us just under the surface. That if we don't talk to people about how our mental health is affecting us that it will consume us. We will be crippled by it and some might find the darkest way to end that suffering. I will say this to end this review: if you are having a hard time dealing with your mental health, talk to someone, anyone; it's better to not let those feelings fester and grow. You deserve better than to suffer. 

Written and Directed by Danielle Baynes.

Starring Kate Walsh, Justin Amankwah, Jeremy Waters, Hunter Sabe, etc.

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW