Benedict Cumberbatch‘s new movie has an almost perfect critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. While we wait for the British star to return as Doctor Strange in this December’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Cumberbatch first leads Netflix’s latest awards hopeful, western drama The Power of the Dog. While the jury’s still out on whether No Way Home will live up to the hype, this one is definitely worth checking out as it’s receiving near-universal acclaim.
From writer/director Jane Campion (Bright Star), The Power of the Dog is set in 1925 Montana and stars Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank, a charismatic but course rancher. When his kind-hearted brother George (Jesse Plemons) falls for and marries local widow Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil distrusts her as he believes she’s only with his brother for his wealth. Though he initially torments Rose and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), an unexpected bond with Peter might offer him a chance at redemption.
Following Campion winning the Silver Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival, critics are raving about the movie, with it sporting a virtually perfect score on RT. At the time of writing, it’s sitting at a Certified Fresh rating of 95% on the review-aggregate site. Regular viewers are slightly less wowed, but its 77% audience score is still a strong endorsement of its quality. As the critics’ consensus reads, “Brought to life by a stellar ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog reaffirms writer-director Jane Campion as one of her generation’s finest filmmakers.”
Though it opened with a limited theatrical run last month, The Power of the Dog is now streaming on Netflix as of this Dec. 1. If you don’t want to miss out on what could be a big winner next awards season, go and check it out now. And, remember, Benedict Cumberbatch will next be seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, releasing Dec. 17.