Netflix’s ‘Power of the Dog’ Secret Weapon Is Kodi Smit-McPhee

Warning: This article contains main The power of the dog damaged. Don’t read if you haven’t seen the movie!

When Kodi Smit-McPhee first appeared in The power of the dog—the new one Jane Campion TV series currently on Netflix — he’s the perfect visual definition for the phrase “a gentle spirit.” As Peter Gordon, a frail teenager with a lisp, Smit-McPhee spends his early days doing things like carefully building fake flowers for his late father’s grave, or politely waiting at the door. his mother’s boarding house. The thin frames of his glasses looked as if they could be blown away by a strong wind. His sunken face was delicate and earnest. His wide eyes glint with benevolence, or when he’s hurt a little, it can’t be hidden.

And yet, by the end of the movie, you’ll be convinced that this sweet, gentle ghost boy has committed a cold-blooded murder. You won’t even question it. That’s just how good Smit-McPhee’s performance was. While there are many big names in the cast – all delivering award-worthy performances, there is no doubt – his secret weapon. The power of the dog is Smit-McPhee.

Based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, The power of the dog tells the story of George and Phil Burbank, brothers who own a ranch in Montana in 1925. While George Burbank (played by Jesse Plemons) is kind and gentle, his brother Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) is volatile, unrefined and ruthless. When George marries a local innkeeper named Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil – feeling abandoned by his brother – attacks his new sister-in-law and her effeminate teenage son, Peter (Smit- McPhee). Phil specifically tortures Rose, causing her to become addicted to alcohol.

The film’s core conflict takes place in the scenes between Cumberbatch and Smit-McPhee. At first, Cumberbatch was in complete control. McPhee is left to react to Phil’s cruel mockery when the two first meet in Rose’s motel. But gradually, the balance of power began to shift. After Peter returns home for the summer – where he is studying to be a doctor – he discovers Phil’s trove of nude photos of men. He then sees Phil showering naked with the handkerchief of “Bronco Henry,” the mentor Phil often looks up to. We don’t explicitly say what conclusions Peter draws from these discoveries, but we can surmise — Phil is a gay man, and Bronco Henry is his lover.

Something changed after this incident. Peter is no longer afraid of Phil – in fact, he probably understands Phil better than anyone – and Smit-McPhee lets it show on his face. Phil extends a gesture of friendship to Peter, by offering to braid him a rope and teach him how to use the lasso before Peter returns to school. Peter thanked him with a smile and replied, “Well, that won’t take long, Phil.”

It’s a perfectly innocent, polite thing to say, but something about Smit-McPhee’s delivery — armed with a small, secret smile — feels menacing. To his mother’s dismay, Peter spends more and more time with his uncle Phil, learning to ride horses and accompanying him on expeditions in the mountains. Smit-McPhee’s poker face rarely slips, and when it does, it offers a deliberate glimpse of what’s to come. It’s the kind of acting you’ll want to watch over and over again, look for clues and you’ll find them. By the time the movie’s ending is revealed, you won’t need it to spell for you anymore – it’s all clear on Smit-McPhee’s face.

Australian actor, 25 years old, perhaps formerly best known as Nightcrawler in recent times X Men film. Smit-McPhee has also been noticed in the past for her roles in movies Romulus, My Father and Let me in, both of which earned him several minor award nominations. But The power of the dog feels like McPhee has a chance to become a household name. Campion’s film has swam in buzzing awards, and while McPhee isn’t leading that conversation, he really should be. If that performance isn’t worthy of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, what to do?

Clock The power of the dog on Netflix