The Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi You Need To See Before Furiosa, Stream Immediately
With Furiosa’s release date just around the corner, now’s as good a time as any to travel through the wasteland and watch as many post-apocalyptic action films as humanly possible. If you’re ready to get into survival mode but want a lighter take on the genre, then you need to check out 1975’s A Boy and His Dog. Playing out like a Mad Max movie before the Mad Max franchise even kicked off, A Boy and His Dog takes you on a trip through a decimated Southwestern United States as scavengers search for sustenance, love, and a sustainable way of life.
A Boy and His Dog
A Boy and His Dog is based on the Harlan Ellison novella of the same name, and has been cited as inspiration for the Fallout video game series by one of its developers. George Miller, who’s best known for the Mad Max film series, has also gone on record stating that A Boy and His Dog influenced his own work while developing his legendary post-apocalyptic multimedia franchise. Unlike the Mad Max franchise, however, this particular dystopian sci-fi flick leans heavily into its morbid sense of humor without being too heavy-handed.
A Story Of Friendship
At its heart, A Boy and His Dog is a tale of post-war survival and friendship. We’re introduced to Vic (Don Johnson) and his world-weary travel companion, a telepathic dog named Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire). Though their relationship seems adversarial at times, they depend on each other to survive as they explore the wasteland on their quest to locate the land of “Over the Hill.”
Vic’s Needs Vs. Blood’s
Vic, being a virile young adult with a questionable moral compass, only has one thing on his mind: finding a girl. Roaming through the ruins with Blood by his side, Vic tracks down food for Blood in exchange for Blood’s innate ability and willingness to sniff out women who are hiding in underground bunkers. The main source of tension in A Boy and His Dog comes in the form of Vic and Blood bickering over whose needs are more important throughout their travels, but their standing arrangement seems to be one that they’re both okay with.
Along Comes Quilla
Vic and Blood find themselves at odds with each other as A Boy and His Dog progresses because Vic meets a woman named Quilla June Holmes. Quilla comes from a secret underground society called “the Downunder,” and wants Vic to join the community. Blood, who’s not allowed to join them, is wary of Quilla’s intentions because his animal instincts tell him that she’s up to no good.
A Cult Classic
Though A Boy and His Dog was not a commercial success upon its release, it has since become a cult film that’s held in high regard for its off-beat sense of humor and clever dialogue between a young man and his talking four-legged companion. Boasting a 78 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics who celebrate the film are quick to point out that if you haven’t heard of this title, you’ve at the very least seen several other films in the genre that were inspired directly by its premise.
The best way to watch A Boy and His Dog is for free, and you can do so on streaming platforms like The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Amazon Prime’s Freevee. While you’re getting pumped for the upcoming continuation to the Mad Max saga, A Boy and His Dog is the perfect film to pass the time.
