White God

Independent film from Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo is a strange but stylish parable of one dog’s mission to get back to his owner.

Man vs. beast

In his sixth - and what critics believe to be his best - film to date, Mundruczo tells the story of how man’s best friend becomes his worst enemy. A young girl’s miserly father abandons her beloved pet on the streets of Budapest, sparking a canine revolution. Working like a well-organised army, the dogs fight back in what becomes a fierce man vs. beast battle of morals - eventually joining together in revolution against their human oppressors. This is Homeward Bound with a dark, intelligent twist.

Masterful and haunting

Perhaps the most bizarre new film release to hit the screens since Birdman, the premise behind White God is just as clever. The film works as an allegory of white man’s dominance over class and racial minorities. And it's clear that the revolution has always been bubbling below the surfaces of human recognition. Until, that is, we meet the protagonist, passionate canine-lover Lili, and her disdainful father - a meat factory worker: another example of human disregard for animal life that is essence of Mundruczo's film. Thrown into a police pound for strays, Lili’s dog Hagen finds others that share in his resentment. There is a buzz (or bark) in the air, and the disgruntled masses rise up.

Mundruczo’s direction of this ensemble cast of dogs is masterful and haunting. The extraordinary opening sequence sees Lili riding her bike down the deserted city streets, followed by a gargantuan pack of feral dogs. Like the teaming rats in the Pied Piper, Lili is a Messiah to these disenfranchised hounds. The film builds up to a glorious crescendo once again, leaving us with a chilling vision of the potential capability of beasts. White God provide a unique and satisfying alternative to Hollywood's propensity for the generic action thriller.★★★★★ White God UK release date 27th February.

Check out the complete cinema listings for White God in London: White God film times, London