Brad Pitt and David Ayer's Heart of the Beast is officially a tearjerker.
Reviews for Heart of the Beast were very positive, and the 88% Rotten Tomatoes score made it one of the best for Pitt and Ayer's careers.
Firstly, that beats The Beekeeper (92%) as Ayer's best audience rating of his career.
Meanwhile, Heart of the Beast falls short of F1 The Movie (97%) but ties with Pitt's Fight Club as his second-highest audience score.
Alongside Pitt, Heart of the Beast's cast also features J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe in supporting roles.
Brad Pitt and David Ayer's Heart of the Beast is officially a tearjerker.
The two producers reunited 14 years after Fury with a new survival thriller that follows the emotional bond between a retired Special Forces veteran and his dog after their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. Reviews for Heart of the Beast were very positive, and the 88% Rotten Tomatoes score made it one of the best for Pitt and Ayer's careers. However, the most important voices are audiences, and with the movie now in theaters, the verdict is near unanimous.
Close Brad Pitt looking intensely to the side in The Heart of the Beast
Brad Pitt celebrating with his hands in the air and Odin by his side in Heart of the Beast
Brad Pitt and Uber the Dog in Heart of the Beast
Brad Pitt in Heart of the Beast holding a gun Image via Paramount
With over 100 ratings so far, Heart of the Beast debuts to an incredible 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Firstly, that beats The Beekeeper (92%) as Ayer's best audience rating of his career. Meanwhile, Heart of the Beast falls short of F1 The Movie (97%) but ties with Pitt's Fight Club as his second-highest audience score. The thriller also surpassed hits like Se7en (95%) and Snatch (93%).
Critics and audiences agreed that Heart of the Beast is easily one of the most heart-wrenching movies of 2026. The thriller delivers a survival tale between the man-dog pair, powered by the performances of the loyal, three-legged Odin and Pitt, who is the quiet yet determined lead.
Brad Pitt's Starring Movies Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score F1 The Movie (2013) 82% 97% Heart of the Beast (2026) 88% 96% Fight Club (1999) 81% 96% Se7en (1995) 84% 95% Snatch (2000) 74% 93% True Romance (1993) 93% 93%
Meanwhile, Ayer's direction is also praised for highlighting the scenic wilderness amid the harsh conditions. Despite gripes over the uneven pacing, the story's emotional weight overcomes those flaws, with many viewers warning to bring tissues.
With Heart of the Beast facing heavy competition against Primetime, Forgotten Island, and Avengers: Endgame Encore, word-of-mouth could help its box office potential. According to Variety, projections indicate anywhere from a $17 million to $20 million debut against an $82 million budget.
Quiz 5 Questions Survival, Loyalty, and Heart Your Top Score -- Attempts -- Average 88% Users 26 Start Quiz 0 0
Meanwhile, Pitt's 2026 movie slate isn't done just yet. In two months, he will reprise his Oscar-winning role of Cliff Booth in the Netflix sequel The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. The movie will first release in select theaters on November 25, before going to streaming a month later on December 23. Pitt and David Fincher reunite for the fourth time after Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Alongside Pitt, Heart of the Beast's cast also features J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe in supporting roles. Cameron Alexander wrote the script, while Pitt and Ayer were co-producing with Olivia Hamilton, Marty Bowen, Richard Raymond, and Nick Satriano.
Heart of the Beast is now playing in theaters.
