I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this film. At times prescient and disturbing (in a good way), at times clownish and over the top, it was entertaining. It’s another sad but true commentary on the state of our fellow man and woman. The journey of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character nearly keeps things centered and Meryl Streep is a treat as the President (look up the story about how she reacted when everyone on set was calling her GOAT). Jonah Hill might be a bit too on the nose as an Eric Trump-like Chief of Staff. Do stick around for the post credits scene.

A quiet anomaly tailor made for awards season, The Power of the Dog boasts beautiful vistas, period grit, and fine performances. Perhaps I’ve grown more impatient in my old age, but it felt quite slow throughout. This isn’t a surprise coming from Jane Campion, and the performances, particularly Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, are nuanced as well as tactile. Watch it when you’re feeling peaceful, centered, and in the mood for character drama rather than explosions.