-Written by Kyle Bain.
After Jake (Isaak Adoyi) interevens when he sees a dog attack, what was once meant to be a relaxing day takes him on a journey through tiresome events. Good Dog Bad Dog sees Jake attempting to overcome the many obstacles that he encounters throughout his day.
Issues with time and cohesion plague this film from the start, as things don’t feel effectively linear. Some events last far longer than they should have, and others seemingly don’t take as long as they might in real life. Beyond that, I’m troubled by the varied use of technology throughout the course of Good Dog Bad Dog. From a record player, to an iPhone, to a television set that looks like it’s right out of the 60’s–things don’t feel like they’re connected, like they exist in the same time. This requires viewers to suspend their disbelief, and, sure, that’s possible–but it often feels like these things don’t exist alongside one another, causing Good Dog Bad Dog to become challenging at times.
Furthermore, I can’t quite understand how each of the events in Good Dog Bad Dog connected to one another. The synopsis expresses a chain reaction, but none of the events seem related; nothing that plays out during Jake’s day seems like a chain reaction. Through the fractured narrative I was forced to constantly ask “why?;” I couldn’t comprehend why some things happened and why others didn’t. Good Dog Bad Dog doesn’t work in this regard–another way in which time and cohesion rip the film apart.
With all of that said, I think this film works more as a character study, in which the events themselves don’t mean much (and aren’t meant to), but rather Jake’s reactions to all that occur are what matters the most. The synopsis provided under the film online sets a level of expectation that Good Dog Bad Dog can’t live up to. Had Jake been explored differently, as more prominently the focus of the film, I think that the production would have found more success.
Director of Photography Oussmane Fall uses a series of incredibly simple shots to tell this story. He doesn’t look for elaborate shots, or ways to tell the story in a unique way–but, again, adheres to this idea of simplicity. This works in favor of Good Dog Bad Dog. There are often times throughout the film where viewers get up close and personal with different objects existing throughout Jake’s day. While these shots don’t necessarily work to drive the film forward, they do work to keep viewers engaged–as, more often than not, Fall captures things in a brilliantly crisp fashion, a way in which viewers become immersed in the film.
Good Dog Bad Dog is a film that exists more in the negative than the positive, often struggling to remain linear and cohesive. Most of the issues stem from timing and that aforementioned cohesion existing within the narrative. Had the film been expressed in a different way and the focus been placed elsewhere, I believe that Good Dog Bad Dog would have thrived. Fall does a wonderful job of capturing some truly beautiful moments in the film, and it does enough to keep viewers engaged, but not enough to necessarily save the film.
Written & Directed by Trace Walker.
Starring Isaak Adoyi, Rajiim Gross, Harmony Haze, Alessandro Ferraris, John Mayambi, etc.
4.5/10 = WORTH THE RISK, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED
