Strays is hilarious, filthy and surprisingly heartwarming. It’s the perfect movie for dog lovers who like to laugh and aren’t afraid of a little raunch or vulgarity. As an added bonus, Strays is also a revenge story with some pretty significant (and deserved) violence, though delivered in a humorous way. It has all the expected emotional story beats of a talking dog movie like A Dog’s Purpose or Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey… but with all the naughtiness and adult language of an R-rated comedy. 

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Will Ferrell provides the voice for the innocent and gullible Reggie, an adorably scruffy little mutt who believes the best about his human, even though he’s the absolute worst. Jamie Foxx plays Bug, an equally cute Boston terrier with street smarts, a foul mouth and a chip on his shoulder about people and how mean they can be. Isla Fisher and Randall Park round out the rest of the four main characters. All the animal voice actors did a tremendous job with their roles, and there are some great actual human performances as well – most notably a humorous cameo by Dennis Quaid. 

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The filmmakers clearly love and understand dogs, as there are some wonderful nuances that only a true dog lover would get. One perfect example of this is the introduction of a particular villain known as “The Devil in the Sky.” You’ll have to watch to find out who that is (although it was tipped off in the red band trailer if you can’t wait). As a side note, Strays features some of the funniest subtitles I’ve ever seen, offering English translations of dogs barking, eagles screeching and more. 

 

Above all, Strays pays homage to dogs and the amazing unconditional love they give to the humans in their life, whether we deserve it or not. It'll make you laugh and cringe, but (for the dog people out there) ultimately rush home from the theatre to hug your dogs.