Anyone who has ever lived with a halfway decent dog will agree that they are endlessly hilarious creatures. Dogs are funny in a multitude of ways, probably the least of which is their connoisseur’s interest in each other’s rear ends, the indiscriminate humping and their erratic toilet habits. But according to this relentlessly basic comedy, this represents pretty much the full scope of canine humour. The tale of Reggie (Will Ferrell), an adorable scruff of a terrier who finds a mismatched band of four-legged friends and gradually comes to terms with his abandonment, Strays is a film that leans heavily on gross-out gags and a pre-adolescent fascination with pee and poop.
Tonally it’s in the same dog park as the complacently crass Sausage Party or the abrasive plush-toy profanity of Ted. And like these two pictures, it’s likely to appeal predominantly to the stoner end of the audience spectrum – not least because of an extended sequence in which Reggie and his buddies – a foul-mouthed Boston terrier, a collie bitch and a great Dane with anxiety issues – chow down on magic mushrooms and get messy. To sum up a review with a “dog’s dinner” line would be unconscionably lazy in normal circumstances, but since these pups routinely snack on vomit and faeces, it seems rather apt in this case.
In cinemas now
English (US)