Have you heard of the little novel titled ‘The Power of the Dog‘ from author Thomas Savage? It reached cult status and was considered ahead of its time in depicting repressed sexuality.
The story is set in 1925 and follows two wealthy ranchers in Montana who meet a widowed “proprietress at a restaurant and her impressionable son.”
Cumberbatch’s character is especially cruel toward the woman, and that whistling isn’t just a tick, as it’s his form of taunting her, whistling a tune she can no longer play. But when Cumberbatch’s character begins to take her boy under his wing, it begs the question whether his behavior is a sign of him softening or a plot twisting further into menace.
In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch, this movie stars Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Thomasin McKenzie and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
As mentioned above, the film is set in Montana, but it was actually shot in New Zealand. It’s set to open at the Venice Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.
It’ll hit theaters on November 17 and then be released on Netflix on December 1.
