Jane Campion’s latest directorial effort – The Power of the Dog – has emerged as the big winner in the awards circuit, now being cited as one of the best films of 2021. Campion’s return to the world of cinema with a new feature after her long hiatus has been a refreshing experience, proving once again that she is one of the most skilled artists of the medium.
Receiving widespread critical acclaim, The Power of the Dog stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons as a pair of ranch-owning brothers who have considerable influence due to their capital. However, things become strained when Plemons’ character brings home a wife (Kirsten Dunst) who is severely ill-treated by his problematic brother.
To nail his performance, Cumberbatch indulged in method acting and was very mean to Dunst throughout the production process. On one occasion, he also called Plemons “big boy”, which rubbed him the wrong way and made him confront Cumberbatch to tell him that he was taking this method acting bit too far.
According to the latest reports, The Power of the Dog has already broken Netflix records by garnering 21 awards for the Best Picture category, which is a staggering number if you consider that many of the major awards ceremonies haven’t been conducted yet. Campion’s latest film has set the gold standard for future Netflix projects now.
By achieving this feat, The Power of the Dog has surpassed the previous record set by Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 modern masterpiece Roma which had managed to pick up 20 awards for Best Picture in total. From the looks of it, The Power of the Dog will further the gap in the number of accolades between the two as the awards season progresses.
Watch the trailer for The Power of the Dog below.
