Running Time: 96 Minutes
Starring: Jurģis Spulenieks, Einars Repše, Agate Krista, Kristians Karelins, Regnārs Vaivars, Armands Bergis
Following the critical and financial success of Flow, the Latvian film industry has seen increased investment and interest put into it. In the wake of such success, Dog Of God arrives as another animated feature from Latvia, and despite the animal mentioned in the title, this is a monumentally different film from Gints Zilbalodis' wordless tale of animals surviving a flood that is suitable for all families.
The differences are notable from the opening moments, where co-writers/directors Lauris Ābele and Raitis Ābele show their intent in startling fashion. A man in chains wanders through a sweltering desert that is littered with skeletons, shuffling forward with purpose until he reaches an oceans. Using his chains to part the sea, a path is opened towards an upside-down figure that towers above him, so that the man can reach between the giant's legs and tear off his testicles. Whatever you think of the remaining film, this is a wild opening that captures your attention.
Set within a 17th Century Swedish Livonian village, the story unfolds within a bleak town where the only constants are rain and drunkenness. When a stolen relic sparks accusations of witchcraft, an 80-year-old man crashes a church trial to declare himself a werewolf named the Dog of God. His arrival comes with a mysterious gift known as The Devil's Balls, triggering unexpected events that turns the village into a frenzy of unleashed desires.
As the 96-minute runtime unfolds within the Livonian village, it is safe to call it a depressing place to live. One of the central characters is Kilbi, a disabled man with no joy in life who lives his days berated by the domineering and cruel pastor. Treated without any respect, Kilbi is seen not as a person but as a tool for the pastor to use, a feeling solidified by how the boy is denied his true name or even his birthday. Without anything to identify himself, all he can do is devote himself to the pastor out of fear.
While the town momentarily escape from their depressing reality through alcohol, the Pastor sees himself as being driven to be strong and righteous. The reality is that his nastiness is thinly masked by a religious guise, as the slightest feel of influence drives him to harm others for his own gain. Take a moment when he experiences lust, but his struggles to accept a very human feeling leaves him to take it out on the source. However he sees himself, his actions are clear when he prioritises a religious artefact over the lives of actual people.
There are thematic ideas here that work, such as how everyday people can be manipulated to channel their anger at a scapegoat, or how the belief of an object symbolising good is more palatable than putting the work in through one's actions. The film is playing with downbeat ideas about people and how faith can be used as an excuse to justify wrongdoing, but these themes are undone by the feeling that they are brought alive in unexciting ways. That is strange to say in a film with so many animated genitals, yet it cannot make the plot feel any less sluggish as one waits for it to kick off.
Credit is deserved for the rotoscope animation, as the visuals brought alive are stunning to behold. It is a rare film that not only has a man unknowingly making out with a cat's anus, but will also show a close-up of the tongue exploring the puckering starfish and leave one thinking of how well animated it is. While the story may let things down, Dog of God is a magnificently animated slice of rotoscoped folk horror.
Dog of God made its UK Premiere at FrightFest 2025
Comments