The Power of the Dog

In the dusty terrain of Montana's 1925 ranch country, brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemons) navigate their complicated bond while managing the sprawling property they inherited from their revered mother, affectionately dubbed "the Old Lady". Phil frequently taunts George with good-natured jabs, often referring to his rotund physique as "fatso", a moniker that stings but is largely dismissed. In his mind's eye, Phil idolizes Bronco Henry, the rugged mentor who taught him the ways of the range.

As they embark on a cattle drive, their ragtag crew of cowhands converges at a rustic inn where widow Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst) tends to the needs of her young son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), an artistic soul with a charming lisp. The rough-riding ranchers, Phil among them, arrive at the inn and settle in for a well-deserved rest. Rose works tirelessly to satiate their hunger and thirst, but Phil's condescending gaze is drawn to Peter's handmade paper flowers adorning the table. When Phil mocks these tender creations, Rose's sensitivity is piqued, leading her to remove the remaining decorations from the table.

As night falls, George (Jesse Plemons) stumbles upon Rose's tear-stained face and discovers the root of her distress: Phil's cruel treatment of Peter has left her feeling hurt and helpless. Phil rationalizes his behavior, insisting that Peter needs to conform to societal norms. Meanwhile, George begins to form a genuine bond with Rose, finding solace in her gentle nature.

Phil, still simmering with discontent, takes out his frustrations on a hapless horse in the barn. When Rose moves in with George, he decides to host an extravagant dinner party to introduce her to his parents, an event that Phil predictably disrupts with his caustic remarks. As tensions escalate, Rose attempts to bridge the gap between Phil and herself, but his disdain for her persists.

One tranquil afternoon, George and Rose escape the ranch's turmoil for a peaceful picnic in a secluded glade, where George allows himself to be vulnerable, finally feeling seen and understood. However, when Rose tries to warm Phil's frosty demeanor, he remains unmoved, convinced that she married George solely for his wealth. Later, after overhearing Rose and George's intimate moments, Phil retreats to the barn, seeking solace in a shrine dedicated to his idolized mentor, Bronco Henry.

As the day unfolds on the ranch, George's domestic life becomes increasingly turbulent. The introduction of two housekeepers, Lola (Thomasin McKenzie) and Mrs. Lewis (Genevieve Lemon), adds a sense of normalcy to the household. However, this equilibrium is short-lived, as Rose is surprised by George with a grand piano that she struggles to master. Phil's incessant banjo playing, expertly executed to torment her, further disrupts the atmosphere. The tension escalates when George reveals that their parents and the governor will be visiting for dinner, prompting him to ask Phil to clean up after his muddy escapade earlier in the day.

The arrival of Rose's in-laws, the Old Lady (Frances Conroy) and the Old Gent (Peter Carroll), brings a sense of formality to the ranch. As they are joined by Governor Edward (Keith Carradine) and his wife (Alison Bruce), George attempts to summon Phil once more, only for him to remain recalcitrant and refuse to clean himself up. The elders' request that Rose play the piano exacerbates her nerves, causing her to stumble through a few notes of the "Radetzky March." Phil's condescending remarks in front of their guests drive Rose to seek solace in drink, despite her earlier avowal to George that she despises drinking due to its role in the demise of her previous husband.

Meanwhile, Peter's arrival at the ranch marks the beginning of a summer filled with torment. Phil and his cohorts continue to taunt the young boy, pushing him to retreat to the safety of his room. As Rose's reliance on drink grows, Peter becomes increasingly isolated, spending most of his time locked away in his chamber.

In a bizarre discovery, Lola stumbles upon Peter dissecting a rabbit in the field, revealing the depth of his emotional distress. Later, Phil and his men take a trip to the lake, where they indulge in a primitive form of grooming. However, as Phil wanders off into a nearby field, he is caught engaging in a solitary activity with Bronco Henry's handkerchief. This private moment is juxtaposed with Peter's own discovery of old magazines belonging to Henry, featuring images of naked men.

The juxtaposition of these two moments highlights the themes of isolation and secrecy that permeate the ranch. As Peter watches Phil bathing by the lake, he is once again rebuffed and sent away. The tension between the characters reaches a boiling point as they struggle to navigate their complex relationships and find solace in an environment marked by chaos and dysfunction.

As the sun beats down on the dusty landscape, Rose and Peter (in parentheses) join the cowhands in the field, where Phil takes notice of Peter's arrival. With a knowing glint in his eye, Phil beckons Peter to come closer, aware that this interaction will likely leave Rose feeling uneasy. He offers Peter a lesson in crafting a rawhide lasso, just as Bronco Henry once taught him. As they work together, Phil also shares the secrets of horseback riding, passing on the skills that have been passed down through generations.

Later, as Peter attempts to ride a horse, he stumbles and falls, earning chuckles from the other cowhands. Undeterred, he perseveres and eventually gains confidence in his horsemanship. It's during one of these rides that Peter stumbles upon a gruesome discovery - a lifeless cow carcass lying motionless on the open range. He dons gloves to preserve any useful hide and carefully cuts off a piece, unaware of the potential consequences.

Phil takes Peter on a fencing job, but Rose tries to intervene, only to realize they've already ridden too far to stop them. As they take a break to slaughter a rabbit for dinner, Phil suffers a nasty gash on his hand. Under the shade of a nearby tree, Peter shares with Phil the painful story of discovering his father's lifeless body after he took his own life - and the difficult task of cutting him down.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lewis reveals that some Native American traders have been by to collect hides from Phil's stash, only to depart once they learned of his plans to burn them all. Rose, in a show of defiance, secretly hands over the hides to the traders, earning herself a pair of gloves as payment. Not long after, Rose becomes inebriated and passes out, leaving George to find and care for her. Phil returns, enraged by Rose's state, but Peter later tries to diffuse the tension by sharing his own story - the hide he cut from the cow, which he hopes to use to finish their lasso.

As night falls, Phil and Peter gather around a flickering flame to work on their lasso, using the hide Peter had obtained. However, Peter keeps silent about the potential risks of using hide from a diseased animal. As they toil together, Phil cleans the hide in the nearby water, despite his open wound mixing with the bacteria-laced liquid. The two share a cigarette, and Phil regales Peter with tales of Bronco Henry - including the time he saved Phil from a harsh winter night by sharing body heat, but when asked if they were naked during this intimate moment, Phil becomes evasive and cryptic.

The morning after Phil's mysterious absence, George (actor name) makes a routine visit to check on his brother, only to be met with a grim reality. Phil's condition is dire, his body wracked by fever and delirium. Despite his illness, Phil manages to don his clothes, though his actions are now erratic and disjointed. In a bizarre display of determination, he grasps the lasso he had earlier completed and sets out to find Peter, intent on bestowing it upon him. However, George's concern for his brother's well-being prevails, and he intervenes, whisking Phil away to seek medical attention.

Tragedy soon strikes when Phil succumbs to his illness, leaving George to make the difficult arrangements for his funeral. As the mournful procession disperses, a doctor offers an unexpected explanation for Phil's demise: an anthrax infection. This revelation leaves George perplexed, as he had always known Phil to be meticulous in his handling of the animal hides.

Meanwhile, Peter remains absent from the funeral proceedings, but his thoughts are consumed by the lasso that lies hidden under his bed. As he pores over a passage from Psalms - "Deliver my soul from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog" - his gaze drifts out the window to behold George's return home, where he is met with the warm embrace of Rose. Peter's expression softens into a gentle smile, his heart filled with a sense of hope and optimism for those he loves.