*Warning — there are spoilers for the film Strays in this article.*
There’s A LOT to say about this movie, so I’m just going to dive in because I’m going to be super honest with you and admit that while I thought this movie would be funny (it is a Will Ferrell movie, after all) what I didn’t expect was the touching and accurate look at trauma, identity, friendship and toxic relationships.
Side note: This movie gave me of Homeward Bound mixed with Oliver and Company vibes
Now, I’ve read the reviews… and I know a lot of people aren’t in love with the movie. I get it. But if you own a dog and you have a heart… you’ll understand why I recommend giving this one a chance.
So, let’s start with the star of the show, Reggie (Will Ferrell). Like an only child that has been isolated from everyone, he only knows his singular way of living. And that singular way of living is with Doug, a truly vile owner (Will Forte). But Reggie doesn’t know that. How can he when he’s never met another dog or owner?
Poor Reggie is misguided in thinking that Doug not only loves him but treats him well. He affectionately regales us with the game he believes Doug loves to play with him, “Fetch — Fuck” where Doug drives Reggie into the country, throws a ball, tells him to fetch and then drives off, leaving him. Poor Reggie finds his way home every time to which Doug replies, “Fuckkkk.”
To add insult to injury, Doug takes him to the city (3 hours away) and drops him off in an alleyway without a care in the world. Reggie is understandably devastated.
Scared, alone, unsure and uncertain of the world around him.
Can you say abandonment issues?!
Help is quick to arrive in the form of Bug, a Boston Terrier (Jamie Foxx). Street smart and sassy, he reminds me of another small dog in Dog Canon: Scrappy Doo. He’s one of those “tough on the outside but a softie on the inside” and well, come to find out — his trauma (biting his young owner and then going to a shelter that was going to kill him…) is to blame for his misbelief that all owners and most humans are “bad.”
If you think about it — dogs and human children who do what they are instinctively hard wired to do in moments of fight or flight, get punished. The instance of Bug’s behavior in this movie is a direct parallel to the behavior a child might do out of instinct (non-stop crying, scared, alarmed, etc).
So yeah, Bug’s got his own share of abandonment and “owner issues,” that color his doggy views of the world. But he’s also empathetic. And here’s where I think the movie handled the comedy with a heavier topic well. For as wise-cracking as Bug is, he doesn’t belittle or make Reggie feel bad about the circumstances that led him to this moment, instead he empowers him to understand his inherent worth as a dog, independent of his human owner.
It’s clear that Reggie has a codependent relationship with Doug — and even Hunter (the therapy dog played by Randall Park) the fragile Great Dane can see that there is serious enmeshment happening.
But this is all explained to Reggie in an empowering way which is why when he finally understands what has happened to him, he’s justifiably pissed. So pissed that he convinces his friends to join him on his revenge mission to “Bite off Doug’s Dick” (Doug’s favorite extremity).
That is some loyal friendship, actually.
Let’s back up though and talk about the other two members of the dog gang — because guess what? They have trauma, too.
We’ve got Hunter who perpetually has on his cone of shame — not out of necessity but out of anxiety. The cone helps keep him feel safe in the spaces he’s in. He is timid and shy about the world, but also intellectual given all the time he’s spent in therapy conversations with his owner.
Then we have Maggie, the Australian Shepherd (Isla Fisher) who reminds me of the kind of person who tells you what their issues are by telling you they don’t have any issues. Maggie’s owner recently brought a new puppy home. And Maggie “definitely doesn’t care that she’s not spending time her anymore. She’s glad she doesn’t have to pose for picture any more. She definitely does not hate the new puppy.” Sound familiar?
All together, this is a friend group of pretty traumatized doggos. And you know what? It works. Because in reality, we are pretty much the same. Except… animals are much better at accepting who they are than humans are.
Really, I think this movie is a study in the human condition and how complicated it is.
I think Todd Gilchrist sums up this movie so well in his review of the film¹:
Perrault’s script conceives the world of Reggie and his companions quite literally from the ground up, looking at the choices of humans and making their own assumptions about what they’re doing and why, be it a game of fetch or chronic masturbation. Until he encounters Bug, Reggie loves Doug unconditionally — either ignoring, rationalizing or accepting blame for the human’s misanthropic self-absorption — and it’s this psychological aspect which gives the film a uniqueness among “talking animal” movies and a very contemporary resonance at a time when people are more aware than ever about the diagnoses and mechanics of interpersonal relationships.
Storytelling
Sometimes, the fundamentals of story structure is all you need when the characters carry the story. As is the case here, we’re watching a pretty typical 3-Act structure. Could argue it’s a bit “Hero’s Journey,” too. Point is — it’s a fairly recognizable structure. We’ve all read and watched this play out, before. There’s not a whole lot of narrative devices needed to pull out the message, either.
But because it’s such a widely accepted structure, we get to spend more brain power on the characters which again, is where this movie really shines.
Of course, not all of the scenes were needed.
Um, that mushroom scene? That was traumatizing for all of us. Them and me.
You get the point — the simple story complements the deeper character-driven storyline.
I think this movie is actually a perfect example of how comedy and trauma writing can go hand-in-hand. You don’t have to completely sacrifice giving depth to your story even if it’s funny or light hearted. In fact, the comedy genre is often where so many trauma and mental health survivors go to face their emotions from a different angle. There’s something oddly therapeutic about putting the darkness on full display to be dealt with — especially when you allow yourself to have fun with it like Strays did.
And because this essay wouldn’t be complete without this:
^^ *NSFW → The Red Band Trailer
¹https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/strays-review-will-ferrell-jamie-foxx-1235698472/
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