Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

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Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

R

Jul 2025

1h 38m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

"Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight" thrusts us into the tumultuous world of 8-year-old Bobo, whose childhood unfolds on her family's Rhodesian farm, now Zimbabwe, as the Bush War rages to its bitter end. Set against this violent backdrop, and seen through her eyes, we witness the family's desperate attachment to Africa's soil and the deep, festering scars of a war that reshapes both land and soul.

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Critics Consensus

Tackling thorny themes with fierce intelligence and a wonderful performance by Lexi Venter, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a striking feature debut from writer-director Embeth Davidtz.

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Audience Says

Anchored by an immersive performance by Lexi Venter, handles disturbing themes with authenticity and cinematic elegance, delivering an emotionally resonant adaptation of the source memoir.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Oct 7

It’s quite a gamble to rest an entire film on the performance of one so young, but Venter is remarkable and entirely natural: a captivating, curious presence and our guide in this uncertain world.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Oct 3

3/5

It’s always compelling, and a powerful first feature.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Oct 2

4/5

A powerful, immersively detailed film, with three outstanding performances.

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James Mottram

Radio Times

Oct 29

4/5

Best of all, Davidtz acutely captures the sun-baked rhythms of rural Rhodesia (snakes being just the first danger to wake up to). An impressive, considered first feature.

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Helen Hawkins

The Arts Desk

Oct 3

4/5

This is an equally fine, sensitive rendering of Fuller’s story, with a miraculous performance by seven-year-old Lexi Venter at its heart.

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Alistair Harkness

Scotsman

Sep 30

2/5

...its ambitious attempt to present a child’s eye view of the resulting horrors proves too much for this film to pull off consistently.

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Lena

Aug 3

Story line, actresses, emotional, realistic

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Andrea

Jul 27

amazing acting, story and directing. loved it!

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Shabani1976

Jul 27

Can tell it was made in Southern Africa, realistic depiction of a little known period in time. Love that its told from the eyes of child because its impartial and honest.

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Meloney

Jul 26

Excellent movie told from a child’s perspective about the end of apartheid in Rhodesia. It seemed realistic. At times, it was hard to watch. The acting was very good. Would recommend.

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Brian M

Jul 23

This was an excellent story about the end of apartheid in Zimbabwe. I just found a little difficult at times during the film to understand the dialect. However, the performance of the actors in the film was excellent.

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JULIA M

Jul 23

Loved the movie. Amazing acting by the little girl Lexi Venter!

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Embeth Davidtz

Director

Zikhona Bali

Actor

Ilana Cilliers

Actor

Andreas Damm

Actor

Lexi Venter

Actor

Embeth Davidtz

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Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

"Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight" thrusts us into the tumultuous world of 8-year-old Bobo, whose childhood unfolds on her family's Rhodesian farm, now Zimbabwe, as the Bush War rages to its bitter end. Set against this violent backdrop, and seen through her eyes, we witness the family's desperate attachment to Africa's soil and the deep, festering scars of a war that reshapes both land and soul.

Director: Embeth Davidtz
Producer: Helena Spring, Paul Buys, Embeth Davidtz
Screenwriter: Embeth Davidtz
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Rose and Oaks Media
Rating: R (Sexual Assault|Language|Some Underage Smoking/Drinking|Violent/Bloody Images)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 11, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $638.9K
Runtime: 1h 38m

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