A Dog's Way Home
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: January 11, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
50
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
8
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
RogerEbert.comTomris LafflyJan 11, 2019
This may all sound too shameless and syrupy, but to its credit, A Dog’s Way Home scratches the surface of something I, as a pit bull obsessive, have never seen a “dog movie” do. Read full review
70
Film ThreatAlan NgFeb 16, 2019
The best thing I can say about A Dog’s Way Home is that it’s an exceptional film, that you’d find on the Hallmark Channel. Science has yet to count just how many strings the human heart has, but A Dog’s Way Home tries to pull every damn one of them. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyJan 11, 2019
Heartwarming, mildly funny, and occasionally thrilling without ever being anything more than just fine. Read full review
63
The Associated PressLindsey BahrJan 10, 2019
Although it might be a stretch to categorize this as a movie, A Dog’s Way Home is harmless enough and a nice little adventure that’s fit for the whole family. But you might want to have the tissues ready. Read full review
60
VarietyCourtney HowardJan 10, 2019
For every shameless trick the filmmakers employ to pluck our heartstrings, resonant chords are struck elsewhere, teaching audiences about family, the power of unconditional love, and the ripple effects of compassion. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckJan 10, 2019
The film pretty much packs every canine cliché imaginable into its running time, but one look into the soulful eyes of its four-legged star will melt all but the coldest of hearts. Read full review
50
ObserverOliver JonesJan 15, 2019
With her sweet face, alert eyes, and a tail that forever waves in the air like a maestro’s baton, this is a dog worth following, no matter the breed. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 11, 2019
Dog’s Way Home is aimed at the very young, so don’t expect anything challenging. It moves along but felt limp and kind of lifeless, for all the sentimentality Smith & Co. serve up. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshJan 10, 2019
Even the cute factor of A Dog's Way Home can't obscure its narrative weaknesses. Read full review
50
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJan 10, 2019
As ridiculous as it gets, and that’s plenty, A Dog’s Way Home manages to serve up a one- to two-hankie finale, depending on the extent of your dog-person-ness. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeJan 10, 2019
This year’s entry into the winter animal-movie canon, A Dog’s Way Home, comes this close to just being a simple, cute animal movie, until the humans complicate things. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisJan 15, 2019
Some kids may find the whole affair traumatic, particularly when the poor pooch finds herself dehydrated and chained to a corpse in the wilderness. Then again, that’s nothing compared to those same kids’ parents’ recollection of a Disney flick in which a tearful boy must shoot his rabies-inflicted yeller dog in the end. Bless the beasts and the children. Read full review
38
TheWrapYolanda MachadoJan 10, 2019
Putting a dog in crisis might seem like an easy way to create a great story, but in a family film, featuring a helpless canine in constant peril plays as emotionally manipulative and, frankly, slightly traumatizing. A Dog’s Way Home is a joyless jaunt that offers an adorable canine star and not much else. Read full review
25
IndieWireJude DryJan 10, 2019
For a movie with so much going on, (not even counting the CGI cougar Bella befriends), A Dog’s Way Home is wildly devoid of meaning or humor. Read full review
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