Dogman (2018)
An unique take on drug gangster narrative, with a very personal portrait of a very sweet humble man who owns a dog grooming business, who is well liked in the community and an outright people pleaser. His good natured personality makes him an odd element in the drug underworld, as he is involved in coke dealings and robberies, and his complicated relationship with a mean looking and hard hitting cokehead. It is very frustrating seeing how he gets taken advantage off, how he takes the downfall for horrible people and gets nothing in return.
This is not a plot driven crime story, and the conclusion is not necessarily what one might expect, but it works as an interesting character study about the complexities in what it means to be an “alphadog” (it is easy to find all kinds of symbolism in how dogs play a role in this story), what strength means and who really has the upper hand.
Rating: 3.5