Imagine that you’ve worked with directors like Bennett Miller and Steven Soderbergh. You  then co-direct with the screenwriter who Hollywoodized your life story. So you know whatever you touch is bound to be in good hands. Thankfully for this instance, Channing Tatum shares the director chair with co-director and screenwriter Reid Carolin. Together, they bring to life the heartfelt story that encapsulates Dog.

FULL SPOILER ALERT: nothing happens to the dog, the dog is fine, all dogs in the movie are fine, nothing bad happens to any of the dogs. I know things I previously mentioned are things thst dog lovers shun in movies. But I am someone who generally tries to deter away from movies that feature some form of harm coming to a dog. So it is rather useful information in my opinion. Moving on. There is so much charm and delight packed into 90 minutes that will break your heart while simultaneously making it full.

The movie focuses on Briggs (Channing Tatum) as the military calls him back to a base to take care of Lulu,. Lulu is his former military partners dog to attend her dad (his partners) funeral. There’s a reason why he is called to do this. It’s because he’s one of the few people who knows Lulu and is available considering Lulu’s behavioural issues. They form a bond on their road trip and discover the precious relationship between dog and human.

There are things that truly shine in this directorial debut and generally wonderful film. And those things are the performances and chemistry between Channing Tatum and Lulu. It is sort of unexplainable if you don’t have a dog yourself. But throughout the feature this relationship further develops and truly shines throughout the entire picture. As well, Channing Tatum himself proves to have some genuine emotion again. This is refreshing after he starred in a string of movies that seemed to be void of character. There is something in Channing that his canine co-star brings out, as if the dog reignites him. Together they bring a whole new level of heart and depth to Dog.

It really is rare for a movie that focuses on a pet to bring forward such emotion without ever truly putting the dog in harm’s way. Regardless of that ‘expectation’, Dog has a lot of great elements. Lulu’s sweet Belgian Malinois demeanor, Channing’s heartfelt performance, his wonderful direction and a heartfelt script penned by Reid Carolin. It truly defies all expectations and brings forth a tear jerking 90 minutes filled with unadulterated love.