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A Boy and His Dog

A Boy and His Dog

A rather kinky tale of survival.

197591 minRMidcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Director
L.Q. Jones
Starring
Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Jason Robards, Tim McIntire

Set in the year 2024 in post-apocalyptic America, 18-year old Vic and his telepathic dog, Blood, are scavengers in the desolate wilderness ravaged by World War IV, where survivors must battle for food and shelter in the desert-like wasteland. Vic and Blood eke out a meager existence, foraging for food and fighting gangs of cutthroats.

Where to watch

Where can I watch A Boy and His Dog?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists A Boy and His Dog streaming on Midnight Pulp via The Roku Channel, Pluto TV (free), The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about A Boy and His Dog?

A Boy and His Dog earns 6 badges, led by 10× return and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is A Boy and His Dog worth watching?

A Boy and His Dog's Midcredits score is the 61st percentile of all films, from 40K ratings across 6 sources. 57% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

61st percentile

Better received than 61% of films

69th percentile among Comedy62nd percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)58th
Approval (how many liked it)62nd

64 /100

58th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Comedy58th percentile among 1970s

Critics 68 · Audience 64

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

57% liked it

62nd percentile of all films

69th percentile among Comedy64th percentile among 1970s
57% rated it 7–1043% rated it 1–6

Critics 78% · Audience 63%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 2 noms overall

89th percentile

40K ratings across platforms

88th percentile among Comedy93rd percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$400K

What reviewers say

Common ground

A dark, offbeat post-apocalyptic buddy comedy anchored by a telepathic dog and his morally compromised human companion.

Fans praised

  • Telepathic dog Blood's caustic wit and voice work by Tim McIntire
  • Satirical, darkly humorous take on post-apocalyptic tropes
  • Don Johnson's rough-edged charisma as the young Vic

Detractors panned

  • Production values and visual effects feel cheap and dated
  • Misogynistic tone and morally questionable premise
  • Uneven pacing and a meandering middle section

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive80

Fresh twist on post-apocalyptic genre; dark satire that stands out

Dialogue75

Sharp, quotable lines mostly delivered by Blood; cynical and funny

HumorDivisive70

Dark, nihilistic comedy lands for fans; some find it too mean-spirited

Acting65

Don Johnson and Tim McIntire's voice work praised; some call others amateurish

Atmosphere65

Gritty wasteland and eerie underground society create a distinctive mood

Characters60

Vic and Blood's dynamic is the highlight; Quilla June a divisive femme fatale

Ending60

Divisive but memorable finale; fans love the dark punchline, detractors feel cheated

Plot and story50

Simple chase setup with a bizarre underground twist; some find it meandering

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 25 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is A Boy and His Dog like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
TenseAbsurdMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Sardonic · 1% of films: Mocking with a bitter edge.Satirical · 5% of filmsCynical · 1% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneBalances bleak post-apocalyptic survival with sardonic, satirical humour, never winking at the audience but keeping a cynical distance.
The rideThe film swings between grim survival tension and absurdist satire, with the most emotionally heavy moment occurring in Vic's final choice near the end.
StructureThe story is presented in straightforward linear order, following Vic's scavenging, descent, escape, and return.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering unease about its moral choices, undercut by a darkly humorous ending that rewards loyalty between boy and dog over humanity.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).VoyageDescent
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1% (this title)
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Descent: A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).

4% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeVic's journey from the wasteland into the bizarre underground society of Topeka and back fits the descent pattern of voyage_and_return, with the escape from being used as a sperm donor driving the second half.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFreedomPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Freedom · 5% of filmsSurvivalLoyalty · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeVic fights to remain unbound, rejecting both the oppressive order underground and the pull of romance, ultimately choosing his own liberty and his bond with Blood.
StanceThe film questions what freedom truly means in a broken world, using Vic's journey to explore loyalty and autonomy without settling on a clear answer.

The world

Near futureRuralWildernessInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernExperimentalSupportive music · original score · Tim McIntire
Settingpost-apocalyptic desert wasteland near Phoenix, Arizona, and the underground dystopian town of Topeka
MusicThe score blends dissonant strings with eerie electronic elements, underlining the film's bleak and satirical world.

Content guide

Is A Boy and His Dog okay for kids?

R

A Boy and His Dog is rated R. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (57/100), sexual content at intense (64/100), language at moderate (39/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (41/100) and frightening material at moderate (43/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 20% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany16
  • France16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 48% of all filmsHeavier than 20% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 33%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 80%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 12%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 27%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does A Boy and His Dog have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in A Boy and His Dog?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Don Johnson
as Vic
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Susanne Benton
as Quilla June Holmes
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jason Robards
as Lou Craddock
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tim McIntire
as Blood
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alvy Moore
as Dr. Moore
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Helene Winston
as Mez Smith
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Charles McGraw
as Preacher
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Hal Baylor
as Michael
Ron Feinberg
as Fellini
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Michael Rupert
as Gery
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like A Boy and His Dog?

Movies like A Boy and His Dog include Holy Smoke (1999), They Live (1988) and Sleeper (1973). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set after the apocalypse, and several are downward-spiral stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: dystopian. Those cards say what else they share.

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