Luc Besson‘s “Dogman” has unleashed itself onto the cinematic scene, but the results are far from a hair-raising success. While some viewers have playfully compared it to “Joker” with dogs, this numbskulled thriller misses the mark by a mile. Despite boasting the talents of canine performers and Caleb Landry Jones, the film is an inexplicable misstep that leaves audiences wishing for something more substantial.
The story revolves around Doug (Caleb Landry Jones), a cross-dressing individual in a wheelchair who prefers the company of dogs over humans. As he shares his troubled past with a detention-center psychologist named Evelyn (Jojo T. Gibbs), it becomes clear that Doug’s life has been far from ordinary. Raised in an abusive household by his violently oppressive father (Clemens Schick), Doug’s connection with dogs emerges from the traumatic experiences of his childhood.
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Flashbacks reveal the horrifying conditions in which his father kept a pack of starved hounds, intending to use them in dogfights. Doug’s compassionate nature toward these mistreated animals ultimately leads to him being thrown into their cage, where he is left to fend for himself. Following a shotgun incident that leaves him disabled, Doug miraculously escapes and dedicates his life to a peculiar criminal enterprise that involves his intuitive yet indistinguishable pack of dogs.
As an adult, Doug’s life takes an even stranger turn as he finds himself involved in criminal activities, crossing paths with a gangster named El Verdugo (John Charles Aguilar) and an insurance agent named Ackerman (Christopher Denham). However, on Fridays, he dons drag and performs at a cabaret, showcasing his unique blend of interests.
While the film’s premise could have been intriguing, Besson’s heavy-handed approach to explaining every facet of Doug’s personality stifles any potential depth. The film feels like a series of puzzle pieces forced into place, with Doug’s quirks and behaviors traced back to a cause with little room for nuance or subtlety.
In “Dogman,” Besson abandons his reputation as a visual stylist, presenting a lackluster visual aesthetic reminiscent of mid-90s television. The soundtrack choices often border on the painfully literal, with moments that elicit unintentional laughter, such as a dog dropping a severed finger on a cop’s windshield, accompanied by the cop’s over-the-top realization.
As the film careens towards its no-stakes, shoot-em-up finale, set to Edith Piaf’s “Je Ne Regrette Rien,” viewers may indeed find themselves echoing Piaf’s sentiments—regretting nothing but the time spent enduring this bizarre and misguided thriller.
In conclusion, “Dogman” is a muddled, creatively inept film that fails to do justice to its intriguing premise. Instead of delivering a dark and thought-provoking narrative, it leaves audiences yearning for a more satisfying cinematic experience.