Jacob Elordi says The Dog Stars prompted him to reflect on why people can feel dissatisfied despite enjoying everyday freedoms and security. The post-apocalyptic thriller, directed by Sir Ridley Scott, uses pandemic collapse and environmental damage to examine human resilience, privilege and the things people often take for granted.

Set in the 2030s after a deadly flu leaves only immune survivors alive, the film follows Elordi’s former mechanic and pilot Hig as he searches Colorado with his dog, Jasper. Co-star Guy Pearce said its depictions of abandoned places and resource scarcity felt especially relevant after Covid and amid climate-related disasters, while Elordi highlighted the film’s images of regrowth as a hopeful suggestion of renewal after catastrophe.