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Poster for White Dog

White Dog

Seen it?

1982 | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and horror fans. If you loved Point Blank or The Night of the Hunter, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Scary.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 30 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG: slapstick violence. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Samuel Fuller’s throat-grabbing exposé on American racism was misunderstood and withheld from release when it was made in the early eighties.Today, the notorious film is lauded for its daring metaphor and gripping pulp filmmaking. Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who adopts a lost German shepherd, only to discover through a series of horrifying incidents that the dog has been trained to attack black people, and Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to cure him. A snarling, uncompromising vision, White Dog is a tragic portrait of the evil done by that most corruptible of all animals; the human being.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    94% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.6 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $7 million worldwide on a $8 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 47K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Samuel Fuller

  • Kristy McNicholJulie Sawyer
  • Paul WinfieldKeys
  • Burl IvesCarruthers
  • Jameson ParkerRoland Grale
  • Christa LangNurse
  • Vernon WeddleVet
  • Karl Lewis MillerAttacker
  • Karrie EmersonSun Bather
  • Helen SiffPound Operator
  • Glen GarnerPound Worker