Comingsoon.net is asking you to sit, stay, and lie down as we go over the best dogs in film history. Check out our selections in the gallery below!
The only thing better than a delightful human sidekick for a movie’s hero would have to be a lovable and charismatic animal by their side. For as long as dogs continue to be man’s best friend, we can be certain that they’ll continue to stick with lead characters across film and television alike. Frankly, we love to see it.
Honestly, dogs might make better on-screen sidekicks than humans. They can’t deliver their lines poorly because they can’t talk (without the help of CGI, that is), they can’t be accused of being a bad actor because they aren’t really acting in a traditional sense (they’re just trying to be a good boy or a good girl, depending on the dog), and they can’t become sellouts because they aren’t interested in material things (unless there’s a squeaker inside). With this in mind, let’s all admire the best dogs in film.
dog movies
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As Good as It Gets (1997)
An Oscar darling at the time of its release, James L. Brooks’s As Good as It Gets has not aged well at all. One thing that remains timeless, though, is the sweetness and goodness of Verdell.
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Best in Show (2000)
There’s a dog for every type of dog person in Christopher Guest’s semi-improvisational mockumentary Best in Show. Taking place among the high stakes of a national dog show, the movie has plenty of strange owners with equally eccentric pets.
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John Wick (2014)
With three films so far (and a fourth on the way, not to mention the spinoff film and the spinoff TV series in development), the first entry in the John Wick saga features one of the most important dogs in 21st century film history. As its pointed out in the third film, Parabellum, John Wick’s dog—left to him by his deceased wife—started the gigantic mess that is John Wick’s present life.
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Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
The first big-screen adaptation of the classic animated TV series, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit recognizes how special Gromit is and gives him plenty of screen time because of this. An essential companion for the titular oddball inventor Wallace, Gromit is practically as charismatic and emotive as any A-list actor.
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The Wizard of Oz (1939)
In addition to being a great dog in his own right, Toto from The Wizard of Oz might be the most famous dog in movie history. A small little loyal terrier, Toto sticks by Dorothy’s side through all the chaos (even when his life is threatened by the Wicked Witch of the West).
