Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Peter Heller’s *The Dog Stars*, starring Jacob Elordi, uses a folk- and rock-focused soundtrack to reinforce its post-pandemic setting and themes of isolation, hope and human connection. The music is particularly significant when protagonist Hig shares a song with Cima, reflecting the loss of everyday pleasures such as music and dancing after catastrophe.

The film opens and closes with Hozier’s “Like Real People Do”, creating a musical frame for the story. Other featured tracks include Caamp’s “By and By”, which Hig plays for Cima through headphones, alongside songs by Van Morrison, Dean Martin and Mick Jagger; the film follows Hig, a mechanic turned pilot searching for survivors after a deadly flu pandemic and blood virus.