Casey Chong with ten movie dogs who beat impossible odds…
Not all dogs survive in the movies, namely I Am Legend and John Wick. Some of them turn out to be terrifying antagonists seen in the likes of Cujo, Man’s Best Friend, and Green Room. But of course, there are plenty of movies out there showcasing man’s best friends overcoming their plights across different genres such as horror, thriller, sci-fi, drama, and action films. Here are ten such movie dogs…
Boomer in Independence Day (1996)
Human casualties are inevitable in Independence Day. Once the countdown hits zero, the massive alien ships’ coordinated assault shoots down the beam, vaporizing iconic landmarks from the U.S. Bank Tower to the White House and the Empire State Building. In the midst of a catastrophic alien attack, only the lucky ones survive. Among them are Jasmine (Vivica A. Fox) and her son Dylan (Ross Bagley), who manage to run to safety inside the utility alcove as the blazing wall of fire engulfs the tunnel, destroying everything and everyone in its path.
Their family’s pet dog, Boomer, nearly escapes death after managing to leap over the vehicle and right into the safe space just before the flames sweep past the Labrador Retriever. The Boomer scene may have been brief, but it was one of the most memorable moments in this hugely popular 1996 summer movie blockbuster.
Chips in Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Before Zack Snyder gets overly indulgent with slo-mo set pieces and style-over-substance direction, his debut feature in George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead remake feels like a different side of his creative work. The zombie action is raw and full of gritty tension, complete with high-contrast cinematography that captures the pessimistic look and feel of a no-holds-barred apocalyptic world. Like the 1978 original, the remake highlights how the human survivors seek refuge in the shopping mall and uses the building as their fortress against the zombies dominating the outdoor surroundings.
Halfway through the movie, a Border Collie named Chips is introduced after they find him hiding somewhere in the parking garage. Chips becomes Nicole’s (Lindy Booth) favorite pet dog, but it isn’t long before the group decides to use him to deliver supplies to Andy (Bruce Bohne), the gun store owner from across the building. They do so by lowering Chips from the mall roof down to the street via a duffel bag tied to a rope. It may seem like a suicide mission sending a dog to pass through a horde of zombies. But somehow none of the zombies bother the fan-favorite dog as the intelligent Border Collie manages to get into the building safely like a walk in the park.
Arthur in Arthur the King (2024)
Arthur may have been a stray dog, but it’s hard to deny his survival instinct and resilience throughout the movie. Based on the incredible true story, the then-unnamed dog is first seen wandering around the streets of the Dominican Republic with his body visibly wounded. Before he even crosses paths with Mark Wahlberg’s endurance racer Michael Light, we see the dog is completely on his own, scavenging for food and seeking shelter. At one point, he even finds himself being chased by two large dogs but manages to outsmart them.
The subsequent bond between the dog and Michael, where the latter names him Arthur, is the highlight of the movie. Both Arthur and Michael share the same never-give-up attitude no matter the hardship throughout the treacherous 435-mile endurance race. Arthur proves to be a valuable “member” for Michael and his team, especially after he saves Leo (Simu Liu) from falling off a cliff while they are jungle-trekking on a torrential rainy night. The most heartfelt moment comes from the third act, highlighting Arthur’s insistence on sticking with Michael, who is forced to leave him behind due to a strict no-dog rule on the kayaks, by swimming across the ocean to catch up with him and the team during the kayaking race. Arthur’s risky action almost drowns him; coupled with the pre-existing injuries that infected all over his body, it looks as if he’s in the final stage of his life. The dog miraculously made it in the end after surviving a near-death medical scare.
Sugar in Crawl (2019)
A Category 5 hurricane sweeps across Florida, and giant alligators end up in the floodwater preying on human victims. The title in question in Alexandre Aja’s 2019 survival horror refers to the crawl space of the Keller home, where Haley (Kaya Scodelario) and her father Dave (Barry Pepper) are trapped below. While they are struggling to survive the alligator attack, their beloved family dog Sugar is seen barking now and then from above, not leaving the house amidst the storm and rising floodwaters outside.
As the movie progresses, Sugar manages to survive several ordeals, one of which involves the attempted boat escape during an incoming tidal wave. Unlike Haley and Dave, both of whom end up with a fair share of aggressive bite marks and injuries, Sugar manages to escape death regardless of encountering the hurricane and the hungry alligators, completely unscathed.
Max, Maya, Shorty, Truman, Shadow, and Buck in Eight Below (2006)
Frank Marshall navigates this inspiring true story of how the dogs miraculously survive brutal weather conditions in Antarctica after being left behind, where they are completely on their own for months. Originally adapted into a 1983 Japanese drama, Antarctica, which is based on the 1958 Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, Eight Below transplants the story into an Americanized version, first establishing the guide Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker) and his beloved eight sled dogs – Maya, Shorty, Dewey, Truman, Shadow, Buck, Max, and Old Jack – stationed at the research base in Antarctica.
The first half focuses on their long journey to transport UCLA professor Davis McClaren (Bruce Greenwood) to Mount Melbourne to track down the rare meteorite. But it was the second half, where these dogs are forced to stay put following an airborne emergency evacuation prioritizing the injured Jerry and Davis, and an incoming blizzard, that heightens the stakes. Jerry can’t wait to get back to the base to save his stranded dogs, but the rescue team can’t fly him there because of the severe winter storm.
This leaves the dogs doing whatever they can to overcome the elements and hunger, from breaking out of their chains to learning how to hunt for food, and even ends up with one of them suffering a near-death experience after being attacked by a leopard seal. Although two of them failed to survive, the surviving dogs finally managed to reunite with Jerry after 175 days.
Milo in The Mask (1994)
The hyperactive Jack Russell Terrier, Milo, is an unlikely hero during not one but two different occasions in The Mask. This is especially true after his owner, Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), is in jail at the police station. Here, we see Milo leap into the air as high as he can to reach Stanley’s grip behind the barred window, and you have to admire the dog’s persistence. And that’s not all, as Milo manages to help him escape by quietly grabbing the cell keys from the sleeping police guard.
Although the movie famously showcases Carrey at his zaniest self upon donning the titular mask, Milo nearly steals the show in the chaotic third act after he ends up putting on the mask at some point. Transforming into a crazy dog with a highly exaggerated cartoon face, Milo goes as far as defeating one of the henchmen. The Mask was a big hit that year, grossing over $350 million during the surging heights of Jim Carrey’s feature film career.
Beast in The Hills Have Eyes (1977 & 2006)
Both Wes Craven’s 1977 original and Alexandre Aja’s 2006 remake focus on the Carter family and their two German Shepherds, Beauty and Beast, who end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. They are left defending themselves against a group of deformed cannibals living near the area. The sad news is that Beauty dies, leaving the surviving Beast on his revenge mission as the dog transforms from an obedient family pet into a grief-stricken aggressor.
Beast even protects the remaining Carters by attacking and mauling the cannibals to their deaths, proving this dog is not to be messed with in the first place. Both movies are genre classics in their own right, even though extra credit goes to Aja for elevating the existing material with superior character development, significant backstory on the cannibals, and grittier tension, particularly the violent second half.
Thor in Bad Moon (1996)
Eric Red’s little-seen werewolf horror, Bad Moon, brilliantly flips the script – based on Wayne Smith’s 1992 novel of the same name — by making Thor the unlikely protagonist. He’s a German Shepherd and a loyal family pet of single mother Janet (Mariel Hemingway) and her young son, Brett (Mason Gamble). When Janet’s brother, Ted (Michael Paré), stays at their family property somewhere in the forest, Thor senses something is not right about him.
What follows is Thor’s gradual defense mode against Ted, who turns out to be a werewolf from within, leading to a psychological and even visceral battle between a dog and a man-beast. Played by Primo, Thor is more than just a good dog; he’s the scene-stealer in Bad Moon, despite some of the shoddy special effects that nearly crippled the movie.
Jerry Lee in K-9 (1989)
1989 was the year when dogs partnered with their human cops in the action comedies. There’s the Tom Hanks-starred Turner & Hooch, but it was Rod Daniel’s K-9 that excels the most here. The story is a classic odd-couple, mismatched buddy-cop formula: James Belushi, who is no stranger to playing a short-tempered and sardonic cop role in Red Heat a year earlier, appears as a San Diego detective, Michael Dooley, unexpectedly working together with a police dog, Jerry Lee, to nab the drug dealer (Kevin Tighe’s Ken Lyman).
The two don’t get along, especially since Jerry isn’t particularly cooperative and is harder to deal with. Their onscreen dynamic is a highlight here, and as the movie progresses, Jerry proves to be a valuable asset after all. From defending Dooley during a bar brawl to tracking down Lyman’s hidden stash in the warehouse, Jerry has been a supportive partner amidst the initial friction and misunderstanding. The climactic third act sees Jerry taking a bullet to the chest to save Dooley from getting shot by Lyman, and he nearly dies. Not to worry, though, since Jerry recovers at the end of the movie.
Indy in Good Boy (2025)
There’s something supernatural lurking within the rural family home in Good Boy, referring to the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Indy. Budgeted at just $70,000, director and co-writer Ben Leonberg, marking his debut feature, reportedly took over three years of filming. The reason? He insists on directing the dog the old-school way without the assistance of CGI or special effects.
The hard work pays off well, resulting in one of the finest acting performances ever seen from a dog. The fact that the story is uniquely told from the dog’s perspective makes the supernatural horror eerily intriguing. Indy may have been defending the house and protecting his ill-stricken owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), on his own. But this dog’s resilient nature in overcoming the supernatural forces instead of running away in fear is admirable, even surviving the whole ordeal right until the end. No doubt this Indy deserves the title.
Who are your favourite movie dogs? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
