Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

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2:09

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

R

Released Jul 11

1h 38m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50+ 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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Peter Debruge

Variety

Precisely the sort of intelligent, human-scale adult drama audiences insist no one makes anymore.

Aug 25, 2025

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Ryan Lattanzio

IndieWire

The grand takeaway is Venter’s astonishing turn. That kid’s got a future, and it began with a filmmaker who knew how to direct her.

Rated: B

Aug 5, 2025

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Ty Burr

Washington Post

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight manages the difficult trick of getting us to care for the Fullers while saving our sympathy for the Zimbabweans.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 30, 2025

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Alistair Harkness

Scotsman

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

Rated: 2/5

Sep 30, 2025

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Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

If you’re the sort of person who’s able to manage a nearly constant stream of dissonant feelings, you’re likely to get a lot out of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, which is largely excellent, and never easy.

Aug 28, 2025

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

This biographical drama sometimes wanders with repetition. However, it's a memorable portrayal of the generational poison of racism and how a 7-year-old white girl processes it during 1980's political turmoil in Zimbabwe.

Aug 21, 2025

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Lena

Story line, actresses, emotional, realistic

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

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Andrea

amazing acting, story and directing. loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

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Shabani1976

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

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Meloney

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/26/25

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Brian M

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

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JULIA M

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

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

Full Review

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Embeth Davidtz

Director

Zikhona Bali

Actor

Ilana Cilliers

Actor

Andreas Damm

Actor

Lexi Venter

Actor

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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 (Some Underage Smoking/Drinking|Sexual Assault|Language|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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