Every Friday, I log in to the Netflix top movies charts to see which films are the most popular, based on both total streams and social media conversation. This is one of those weeks where a film from the last few years enjoys a mysterious surge in viewership: Arthur the King, a Mark Wahlberg movie about canine companionship, ranks second on the charts (The Last House holds on to the No. 1 spot). Below are some other dog movies for your entertainment.
Arthur the King
The bond between a man and a dog is sacred, as illustrated in 2024’s Arthur the King. The well-reviewed Mark Wahlberg vehicle sees him play the leader of an endurance racing team who finds a wounded dog during a 400-mile trek in Ecuador. It’s based on a true story and really shows the selflessness and sacrifice that come with caring for a pet. As a dog owner myself, I dug it.
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Director: Simon Cellan Jones
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Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance
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Genre: Drama
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Rating: PG-13
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IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
A Dog’s Purpose
Sometimes the bond between a man and his dog can feel nearly supernatural. Lasse Hallström’s A Dog’s Purpose follows the spirit of a hound through five reincarnations, as it learns more about itself and the meaning of companionship. It’s a little maudlin and pretty shameless in its emotional manipulation, but nobody ever said dogs were subtle, and if you’re an animal lover, you might be weeping when our canine companion finally finds his happy ending.
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Director: Lasse Hallström
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Stars: Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton
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Genre: Comedy
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Rating: PG
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IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Dog Gone
When a beloved family pet goes missing, you’ll move heaven and earth to find them. That’s the premise of Dog Gone, also based on a true story. After Fielding Marshall returns from college, he starts hiking the Appalachian Trail with his dog Gonker. But when the mutt chases a fox into the wilderness and doesn’t return, Fielding and his father launch a massive search to recover him, growing closer together as a result.
Seventeen
Seventeen is a solid Spanish-language film that’s worth a watch. When Héctor gets thrown into juvenile detention for a series of petty crimes, he meets a therapy dog named Oveja and bonds with it. After the dog is adopted out, Héctor escapes and sets out on a quest to find and reclaim it. It’s a ramshackle road movie with a lot of heart, and also shows that sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love is let them go.
Recommended by Our Editors
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Director: Daniel Sánchez Arévalo
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Stars: Biel Montoro, Nacho Sánchez, Lola Cordón
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Genre: Drama
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Rating: R
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IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Want to see everything that’s new on Netflix this month? We’ve got you covered.
About Our Expert
K. Thor Jensen
Contributing Writer
Experience
K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, Cloud Stories, was released in 2017.
