---
title: "Dogman: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/dogman/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/dogman"
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 20
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dogman (2018): what the critics said

Critics' score 71 from 20 reviews: 15 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics find Dogman a gripping, bleak crime fable, with praise centred on Marcello Fonte’s tender, nuanced performance as a downtrodden dog groomer. His pairing with Edoardo Pesce gives the film much of its tension, drawing on their physical contrast and uneasy exchanges. The reviews also admire Matteo Garrone’s depiction of a decaying seaside town, where the cinematography finds beauty without softening the desolation. Several welcome the compassion and gentle humour that interrupt the brutality.

The spread is wide, with even favourable reviews questioning the story’s credibility or finding its allegory heavy-handed. Fonte’s performance earns praise across the divide, but the characterisation and plotting prove more contentious. Variety finds the central character’s development emotionally unconvincing, despite admiring Fonte’s work. Eye for Film likewise praises his nuance but objects to his character’s implausible loyalty and the one-note portrayal of his intimidating companion; elsewhere, reservations concern predictability, thin character development and laboured metaphor.

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating 5/5. 17 May 2018. Festival review. 

Bradshaw finds the film a compelling, harrowing portrait of criminal dependency, delivered with comic flair. He particularly praises its tragicomic scenes and Garrone’s vivid depiction of Marcello’s bond with the dogs.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/17/dogman-review-matteo-garrone)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Deborah Young

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2018. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film as an intensely gripping culmination of Matteo Garrone’s dark themes. She singles out its superb lead performances and evocative cinematography for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dogman-1112738/)

## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 April 2019. 

The critic finds the crime fable potent and affecting, though parts of its story strain credibility. He singles out Marcello Fonte’s performance and the vivid portrayal of the desolate seaside town for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-dogman-review-20190411-story.html)

## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston

Rating 4/5. 

Johnston’s four-star rating indicates a favorable verdict. He frames the film as a blend of social exposé and modern fable.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l3kfpa/dogman/)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 4/5. 17 May 2018. 

The critic calls the film a well-crafted gem. They praise its intimate parable of a downtrodden dog groomer.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dogman)

## Total Film — Jamie Graham

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2018. Festival review. 

Graham views the film as a compassionate, compelling crime story whose descent into ruin feels both authentic and inexorable. He especially praises its compassion for its flawed protagonist and its beauty amid bleak beaches and derelict buildings.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/cannes-2018-gomorrah-director-guns-for-palme-dor-with-another-ace-crime-movie/)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 April 2019. 

Edelstein finds the film ugly but gripping, and says it haunts the viewer long after it ends. He especially praises Garrone’s portrayal of Marcello’s fragile bond with the frightening Simoncino.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/movie-review-dogman-2019.html)

## Empire — David Parkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2018. 

Parkinson finds the film a savagely compelling study of trust, honour and folly, despite doubts about Marcello’s transformation. He singles out the grotesque double act between Marcello Fonte and Edoardo Pesce for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dogman-review/)

## Sight and Sound — John Bleasdale

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2018. Festival review. 

Bleasdale finds the film bleak but ultimately humane, with revenge shown as tragedy rather than triumph. He especially praises Marcello Fonte’s superb performance as a gentle man outmatched by violence and indifference.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/dogman-first-look-matteo-garrones-film-grits-its-teeth-face-lifes-savagings)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating B-. 12 April 2019. 

Dowd finds Dogman familiar and predictable, though effective in its cold craftsmanship. He especially praises Marcello Fonte’s richly shaded, heartbreaking lead performance.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-masterful-breakthrough-performance-provides-the-predi-1834013438)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 April 2019. 

Lane regards “Dogman” as a handsome return to form for Garrone, though its focus feels narrower than his earlier work. He praises the director’s ability to find beauty and grace amid the decay of Castel Volturno, while faulting the film’s all-white cast.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/22/siege-mentality-in-stockholm)

## Screen Daily — Lee Marshall

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2018. Festival review. 

The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst identifies the film’s setting as a run-down seaside town in Campania, but offers no specific praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/dogman-cannes-review/5129457.article)

## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward

Rating 4/3/2. 18 October 2018. 

The review finds the film dour and comparatively minor, despite a strong central performance. It praises Marcello Fonte’s work, while faulting the film’s thin character development and tedious metaphor.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/dogman)

## Slant Magazine — Jesse Cataldo

Rating 2/4. 7 April 2019. 

The review finds the film’s allegory and structure inert, despite its coherent symbolic thread. It praises the vivid sense of place and grotesque atmosphere, while noting that Marcello Fonte’s compelling performance is underserved by the story.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/dogman-review-matteo-garrone/)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2018. Festival review. 

Gleiberman finds the film’s transformation of a timid man into a figure of vengeance emotionally unconvincing. He praises Marcello Fonte’s performance, but says the story strains too hard to reconcile innocence with violence.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/dogman-review-matteo-garrone-1202815718/)

## /Film — Marshall Shaffer

Rating 8.5 out of 10. 16 September 2018. Festival review. 

Shaffer gives the film a strong, devastating verdict on its moral allegory. He especially praises Marcello Fonte’s tender, deeply human performance.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/561010/dogman-review-tiff/)

## The Skinny — Joseph Walsh

Rating ★★★★. 22 May 2018. Festival review. 

The review calls Dogman tense, tragic and brutal, and considers it Garrone on top form. It praises the convincing realism of the performances and the film’s setting, while noting that its allegory can feel heavy-handed.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/international-festivals/cannes/dogman)

## HeyUGuys

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The critic finds the film compelling, balancing its grim story with gentle humour. The performances by Marcello Fonte and Edoardo Pesce are singled out for their warmth and menace.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/dogman-review-cannes-2018/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2019. 

The critic finds the film a tight, muscular drama about a good man’s descent into savagery. They praise how the pared-down dialogue lets the physical contrast and tense interactions between the two men carry the story.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/dogman-film-review-good-man-goes-bad-muscular-italian-drama/)

## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2018. 

Wilkinson finds the film engaging but ultimately unconvincing, with its tragedy feeling predictable. She praises Marcello Fonte’s nuanced performance, while faulting Simone’s one-note characterization and Marcello’s implausible loyalty.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dogman-2018-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/dogman.md