A Dog's Purpose receives damning reviews amidst controversy

'So out of touch the smallest drop of sincerity is mistaken for a barbed rose meant to draw blood'

A Dog’s Purpose - Oscar nominee Lasse Hallström’s upcoming film - is currently engulfed in controversy after TMZ released footage seemingly showing a German Shepherd being pushed into and pulled out of a rushing stream of water against its will

Soon after being uploaded, the edited clip was shared across the Internet, leading to Universal canceling the film’s scheduled premiere and press junket. Actor Josh Gad and Hallström both condemned the footage while writer W. Bruce Cameron has defended the film.

With A Dog’s Purpose’s US release incoming, reviews have been published, most of which have been highly negative, most of which agreed the film’s take on the meaning of life was mediocre.

In their F-rated review, IndieWire writes: “What is the meaning of life? Are we here for a reason? Is there a point to any of this? We may never know, but knowing this movie exists may bring some viewers one step closer to giving up on the whole damn thing.”

Referring to killing animals in the film as pushing the red button, LA Weekly says: “Lasse Hallström isn’t notably clumsy, but given a script that called for repeatedly mashing that big, red button, he’s smacked on it like the bongos in a Santana song.”

In their two-star review, We Got This Covered writes: “This is a movie so disjointed and out of touch that even the smallest drop of sincerity is mistaken for a barbed rose meant to draw blood.”

More favourable reviews came from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety who both praised the film’s canine actors steal the show, while the humans are ‘adequate’.

A Dog’s Purpose - based on the book of the same name by Cameron - reaches UK cinemas 21 April.