Jacob Elordi on 'The Dog Stars': Exploring Hope and Privilege in a Dystopian World

Jacob Elordi finds himself contemplating profound questions about life and contentment while immersed in the dystopian world of Sir Ridley Scott's latest film, 'The Dog Stars.' Set in the 2030s, the movie depicts a world where only those immune to a deadly flu survive, immediately drawing parallels to the recent COVID-19 pandemic with its haunting visuals of abandoned cities and a protagonist's desperate search for essential resources.

“

There were a few moments I remember looking around [on set] and thinking it's strange to be doing this make-believe, when the reality is just behind us and just in front of us.

"There were a few moments I remember looking around [on set] and thinking it's strange to be doing this make-believe, when the reality is just behind us and just in front of us," Elordi shared. He described the film's portrayal of a dystopian future as "frightening to think about" but essential for examination and remembrance, given humanity's current proximity to such realities. Elordi also resonates with his character's struggle for contentment, noting, "Everything is sweet for us - we're able to walk around on the street, go to the shops, go to the park, have dinner with each other and we still go to bed and think 'What else is there?', 'What am I missing?', 'What's wrong?' and nothing is."

“

It's frightening to think about but it's something we have to examine and remember, because we are on the cusp of these realities.

Guy Pearce, who plays Pops, a survivor Elordi's character encounters, echoed these sentiments. Pearce highlighted the film's pertinent message about "this world we take for granted," emphasizing the privilege of simple acts like visiting a supermarket or waking up with family, which remain unattainable for many globally. The film's anarchic aesthetic, featuring scorched earth, also strikes a chord with both Pearce and Elordi, who hail from regions in Australia recently impacted by natural disasters, including severe bushfires.

“

Everything is sweet for us - we're able to walk around on the street, go to the shops, go to the park, have dinner with each other and we still go to bed and think 'What else is there?', 'What am I missing?', 'What's wrong?' and nothing is.

"All round the world now there's just more and more effects of climate change so it's pretty terrifying that a lot of those things are not far away," Pearce commented, reflecting on the escalating climate crisis. Elordi, however, finds a note of hope in the film's depiction of regrowth, pointing to scenes where lush greenery and flowers emerge from decay, even in the film's bleak landscape. "Something interesting and not to be missed is the idea of regrowth - that in this abyss, four or five years after the worst day ever for human beings, the trees are full, the grass is thick and the flowers are growing out of the decay," he explained. This theme of redemption through nature's resilience, he believes, mirrors the real-world phenomenon of environmental recovery following devastating wildfires.

“

You can go to the supermarket and get food and wake up with your family - a lot of people even to this day don't live like that, so I am absolutely aware of [my] privilege.